If you wish to master the art of bullet journaling, you’re probably out on the hunt to find one of the most suitable techniques that allow you to customize your journal to the best of your creative abilities. Now that you’ve landed on this page, you don’t need to look anymore! Custom binding is the easiest and simplest answer to your quest. Read on for a complete guide on how custom binding can be an effective technique to use printables in your bullet journal.
What is Custom Binding?
Notebook binding refers to the method of assembling and attaching a notebook’s pages so that they’re safely held together.
Pages are compiled in the right sequence and attached to a notebook cover by various techniques i.e. sewing, gluing, taping or spiral binding. The size and quantity of pages in a notebook usually determines the most suitable binding technique for it. Custom notebook binding gives you the liberty to assemble the pages of a journal in sequence and allows you to add any of your desired printables to it.
For example if you come across a printable that you’d like to put somewhere between the pages in a bullet journal, all you’d need to do is simply cut the printout to the size of your notebook and arrange it’s placement according to your preference.

Custom Covers
Custom binding technique also brings an opportunity to have a customized front cover that you can pick yourself! From the material of the front cover to the prints on it, you get to decide it all! Some custom-notebook sellers even offer to emboss or foil your names/brand logos on the front cover! Can it be any more nicer than that?
Furthermore, there are various stores online that offer the most beautiful, attractive and decent front covers for your bullet journal. (You might wanna check out my collection).
Once you’ve decided on what paper you’d want for your journal and picked your favorite front cover for it, you can have your bullet journal custom-bound from any of your nearest book stores.
DIY Custom Binding
Interested in binding your journal yourself? Check out these courses that teach you how!
- Start Making Books
- Easy Bookbinding: Two Ways to Make a Sketchbook
- Bookbinding: Make a Coptic Stitch Book
- Beginner Bookbinding Class
- Bookbinding Basics: Making a Perfect Bound Notebook
- 10-Minute DIY Pocket Notebook/Planner
Subcategories of Custom Notebook Binding
Here are some of the most popular subcategories of custom notebook binding:
- Perfect binding
- Case binding
- Singer sewn binding
- Saddle stitch binding
- Section Sewn Binding
- Wiro, Comb, or Spiral Binding
Pro Tip: If you pre-plan the layout of your bullet journal and decide on a colour theme that you’d want to apply on all the pages in a journal, you’d be more likely to create a colourful and interesting custom-bound bullet journal.


