Courses
The Western Australian Craft Bookbinders Guild offers a range of courses at a small cost. These are held on weekends in Como, and cater for both members and non-members. Here is a map reference (Como, McDougall House). These courses are a great way to start your bookbinding, and are run on a regular basis. The courses run as a progressive series, so attending a number of them will help your skills, as a range of different binding styles and techniques are demonstrated. Some skills are repeated, so that you get opportunities to improve through the participation in a number of courses.
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All courses result in you taking one of more completed items home at the end.
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Check the list of courses below to see when the next courses will be run. If you cannot make a course that you have booked for, please contact the Secretary so that someone else may take up the place.
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You must be 18 years old or over to attend one of our courses.
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Weekend courses start at 9:00 am and go through to 4:00pm on both Saturday and Sunday.
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From 2025, all our courses will be held at McDougall House on Clydesdale Street in Como. See the map reference above.
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You must register and pay in order to attend, and places are very limited. We have a maximum of 8 on all courses.
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Payments must be made before the course starts, and are not refundable in the last 14 days prior to the course commencing. View our Refund and Privacy policies here.
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Details about what you make and techniques you will learn can be found on our Course Details page.
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June 2025 Miniatures Course
Date: Saturday, June 14th, 2025 - 9:00 AM to Sunday, June 15th, 2025 - 4:00 PM
The miniatures course introduces you to the fun and intricacies of creating miniature books and boxes. Each item is less than 65mm in every dimension, and can be as small as you are capable of making.
This course is $115.00 for the course, and all tools and materials are provided. This course takes place over a single weekend, for a total of 12 hours of tuition.
This course is now full. You may waitlist in case of withdrawals.
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Takeaway: A number of books and boxes in a range os styles, all less than 65mm in any dimension.
August 2025 Bradel Binding Course
Date: Saturday, Aug 9th, 2025 - 9:00 AM to Sunday, Aug 10th, 2025 - 4:00 PM
The Bradel style is a very professional, library quality binding that is very robust. This is a great binding style to master for the very best of your books.
This is a rounded and backed book with a hollow spine, all of the binding is hidden from view, giving a smooth and polished result. This is a split board binding.
This course is $115.00 for the course, and all tools and materials are provided. This course takes place over a single weekend, for a total of 12 hours of tuition.
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This is best attempted if you have some binding experience.
Takeway: a single Bradel bound book in a half bound format.
July 2025 Beginners Course
Date: Saturday, July 12th, 2025 - 9:00 AM to Sunday, July 13th, 2025 - 4:00 PM
This is a great introduction to making your own books using very traditional techniques. We provide all the tools and materials for the course, and discuss how you can get started on your bookbinding journey.
This course is $115.00 for the course, and all tools and materials are provided. This course takes place over a single weekend, for a total of 12 hours of tuition.
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This course is now full. You may waitlist in case of withdrawals.
Takeaway: A pamphlet style book, a hardback multi-section book, a slipcase for your hardback book.
Additional Courses for 2025
Courses for 2025 are now available. Courses are generally published approximately 4 months in advance.