what to do with a book

[TKM]

i suppose this isnt so much about garb as it is about props, but still... i bought a neat looking notebook from one of my favorite shops near here just the other day. i couldn't find an exact picture of it to show you, but it basically looks like this, just with celtic knots rather than branches around the pentagram



i bought this because i plan to go to faire some day in a dark mage persona, and i thought this would be great to carry around as a dark tome. but what can i do to make it look a bit more tome-like? i can easily take the wire binding out, but i dont know how or with what to replace it, or how to come about any good, period-looking parchment papers or anything to the sort to replace the notebook paper inside with.

[Rage]

Look for an antique looking leather book strap. That should fit the bill if you want it to be seen.

[isabelladangelo]

Given the cover and the persona, I wouldn't worry about periodiness.   If you like, just take the spiral out and put in leather straps but keep in mind that a dark mage is fantastical.  Given that, you could have a bit of fun and use silver and black ribbons or even a very thin twine.  Add some charms to the ends of the new binding to make it look even more fantastical and fantastic.

[TKM]

that's a pretty cool idea. i'll start looking for leather straps. i have a couple charms/necklaces i thought i would just wear as the mage, but i'll see how they look hung from my book instead

[jcbanner]

I've made several leatherbound travle journals as gifts for friends and normally I'll use Arches Watercolor paper.  its a heavy weight paper so it looks the part, then it also soaks up ink well, so it can stand up to more ink then regular paper will so you could fill it with caligraphy if you want.

I wouldn't buy indevidual sheets though, I would by the large sheets and cut them with a knife, its a little cheeper per page (though still more expencive then plain paper) and I've always liked the rough astetic of the cut page edges.

[weldon]

Hi,
  Im not as creative as most but heres a thought.  Some older tomes were bound by twine, the holes were punched individually and laced very tightly vetically and across the spine,you already have the holes,  someone that does leather work may help help with some black or oxblood sinew, its like wax string. You could replace page$$$, or, staining pages with old watered down tea or coffee in a an old cooky sheet and leave to dry, their is even the option of singing edges with fire. On windy days you may not want things flapping about, an option would be a simple gromet, (one of those brass hole things) on each side with a small piece of sinue looped about, like a make-shift frog.
  What ever you decide, dont forget most copy shops like kinkos, copy club etc.. do custom paper drilling. and depending if you want drop some $$$ for when/if you decide to pop it open and write contact info, shop #'s whatever, most copy shops can take an image, artwork, pic,,lines or whatever you can dream up and digitally print from your flashdrive,cd,or email,,,ontoyour provided paper, like custom stationary. But check with them first.

[gem]

If the current paper isn't lined, there are scrapbooking stains that are meant for giving an "aged" look to paper.  Some are powders, some are liquids, and I think you blot/rub them on with cottonballs.