Miniature Case Bindings with Brass Boards...
Hannah Brown, 14–15 November 2026
... and a False Round Spine
Miniature books are small, fully functional books, typically defined as being no more than 7.5 cm in any dimension. Issues that arise when working in miniature largely derive from their tiny scale. Miniature books are difficult to make because of; the precision required to handle tiny components; the challenge of binding pages that are too small for standard tools; paper thickness issues that prevent flipping while staying closed; and the difficulty of cutting and aligning minuscule pieces without them moving or fraying.
One other issue is that the bindings can feel insignificantly light which is why swapping conventional laminated boards for pieces of brass sheet can add a satisfying weight to these small books. This weekend workshop will guide you through creating a full leather miniature case binding, constructed to include brass boards and a false round spine. Participants will learn how to construct a leather-bound case, into which sections will be cased in.
Please bring your usual kit of tools, including paring knives.
Although Hannah will have extra kit for use, if you are able, please also bring:
- A jewellers piercing saw
- A metal scribe
- Metal files
- A small metal T-square
- A small vice that can be attached to a tabletop
Skill Level
This workshop is suitable for binders with some experience and dexterity as we are working on a small scale book structure.
Date and location
14-15 November 2026
Hannah Brown’s studio, Bowlish Grange, Forum Lane, Bowlish, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5JL (there are two flights of stairs to climb to reach the studio)
Price and other costs
- £185 for members of either Society
- £205 for non members
- Materials charge of not more than £20, payable during the workshop
Hannah is a bookbinder who works from her home studio in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, where she has lived since 2017. She specialises in fine bookbinding and other bespoke commissioned pieces, and utilises a lot of intricate hand embroidery in her work.
She studied for a BA in Three-Dimensional Crafts at Brighton University and took bookbinding evening classes at the same time, which is where her interest in making books took hold. She then worked as a Mount-making Technician at the Victoria and Albert Museum for eight years between 2008 and 2014 and bookbinding remained as a firm hobby during that time. During a period living in France for eighteen months in 2014-2015, Hannah began binding full time and she was elected then as a Fellow of Designer Bookbinders in 2023.
She favours materials and techniques traditionally used in bookbinding, such as leather, paper, gold leaf and gold tooling. With her crafts background, she is also keen to incorporate alternative skills into her work, including metalwork, textiles, printmaking and woodwork.
For more information about Hannah go to: www.hannahbrownbookbinding.com
If you are attending this course and wish to book a room in the adjoining self-catering accommodation, please contact Hannah directly ([email protected]) once you have secured your place for more details.