Part ii – Brass finishings, Clasps and Chains
In Medieval times, it was crucial that manuscripts have strong and effective clasps to keep book covers tightly closed. Book pages were made from animal parchment, which although strong and durable, would curl in the presence of moisture. Strong buckles / clasps would effectively keep the books closed (under pressure) thus preventing the pages from expanding and buckling. Some clasps were made of leather, others from metal… some had hinged, hook, or over-the-peg clasps. Many Medieval manuscripts are so well preserved today because of these strong clasps, and of course, the enduring quality of parchment!
These marvelous books were very laborious and expensive to produce. Some were exclusively used in monasteries and scriptoria, others in public universities, libraries etc. Medieval manuscripts were much larger than today’s books. The maximum size of a manuscript was determined by the size of the parchment that its pages were made from. As well as being large, these volumes were heavy, requiring the reader two hands to handle them. Sometimes it took two people to carry a manuscript!
Wow… book reading was serious and ‘official business’ back then! Because of their weight and size, books would rest on some support like a table or book stand, and were stored flat on their back / front covers. It was therefore vital that these outer covers be protected from damage caused by dragging and scuffing. Metal studs were used for this, usually fitted on the book corners as well as in the centre of the front and back covers, where most of the book’s heavy weight was carried. These metal studs came in almost any shape… they were very ornate and beautiful!
As these manuscripts were so precious, they had to be kept safe (and physically tied to something)! Metal chains were attached to the books by metal studs and links, and looped through metal rods in public places. The chains were long enough to enable readers to move them around on tables, yet not run away with them! Medieval history is so interesting… so captivating!
Of course, 1:12 scale mini Medieval manuscripts must also have the correct book detail! In my free DIY tutorial, I show how to create three types of mini book clasps, as well as mini chains and metal finishings. How charming and fun they were to create!!! I try to get the embellishments and chains accurate to 1:12 scale… it makes ALL the difference to the finished product! Now these little books REALLY look and feel like magical Medieval manuscripts…
In Part 3, I further embellish them with gold foil and gold heat embossing, and bejewel them with tiny coloured gems! It’s a multicoloured world of possibilities..!
(Keep scrolling down for the DIY Tutorial video)
Let's start creating...!
(This post contains affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase after clicking my link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you)
SUPPLIES
Antique bronze metal book corner protector – https://amzn.to/3z4Gyrw
Red / black / brown faux leather – https://amzn.to/2UuMTgh
Black liquid shoe polish – https://amzn.to/3wWIqkY
All Purpose Craft Glue – https://amzn.to/3al7Xh0
Brass round head nails – https://amzn.to/35J2ond
Brass flat head nails – https://amzn.to/3gUDw2l
Brass pin head nails – https://amzn.to/3wPRRTd
Toothpicks
Superglue – https://amzn.to/3j6zBB0
Gold jewellery rings – https://amzn.to/3wS9Yrp
Black cardstock – https://amzn.to/3gUHiYd
Versamark clear stamp pad – https://amzn.to/3vS7h81
Gold embossing powder – https://amzn.to/3A0CWYi
Cupcake liners – https://amzn.to/3gVZEb5
Metallic Gold Wax – https://amzn.to/3lXNHEN
Dresden black foil embellishment – https://amzn.to/35ZN3Pn (Oh no… it seems Dresden is out of stock everywhere! The item I included in my tutorial seems to not be available at all! However, there are 2 other suppliers… albeit a little more pricey)
https://www.vintage-ornaments.com/dresden-foils-trims/frames-corners-fancies?page=2
OR
https://rosemille.com/collections/all-dresden-die-cuts/products/embellishments
Brown acrylic craft paint – https://amzn.to/3hdcjIt
Dark brown shoe paste – https://amzn.to/3vPDsoK
Ear cleaning buds
Chain (2mm x 3mm) – https://amzn.to/3xNXdhw
Chain (4mm x 6mm) – https://amzn.to/3d5tFEs
Metallic gold acrylic craft paint – https://amzn.to/3o3DJBT
TOOLS
End / front cutters – https://amzn.to/3MJHszr
Flat steel file – https://amzn.to/3qhPHco
Micro tipped scissors – https://amzn.to/3bgZF7I
Straight fine tip tweezer – https://amzn.to/3extKSp
Curved fine tip tweezer – https://amzn.to/3extKSp
Rubber tipped wipeout – https://amzn.to/35LVayK or https://amzn.to/3kYz9W7
Mini spring clamps – https://amzn.to/3wTTpLG
Scriber – https://amzn.to/3qlKOiz
Steel round needle file – https://amzn.to/3qhPHco
Pen / pencil
Heat gun – https://amzn.to/3j3JkYH
Small flat bristle paint brush – https://amzn.to/2R4aCCs
Ball point / embossing stylus – https://amzn.to/3hbQ0mD
Small round bristle paint brush – https://amzn.to/3ewguNS
Mini pliers – https://amzn.to/3xQpXGN
The video tutorial will take you step-by-step through each stage!
I show which tools helped me the most…
… which brass embellishments worked best for 1:12 scale…
… which brass decorations give beautiful results…
… and which materials were the nicest / easiest to use!
I was not disappointed with the results… finally I have tiny volumes that look and feel like Medieval manuscripts, both inside and out!
Follow the steps in the DIY tutorial (below)
Web Story
10 Comments
Que hermosos libros me gustaría me compartieran aún más libros, soy fanática de las miniaturas, ojalá sigan compartiendo me todo este bello trabajo, y felicidades por tan hermoso trabajo.
Un abrazo
Su amiga
Esthela
¡Hola Esthela! ¡Tu nombre es hermoso, por cierto! Gracias por sus amables palabras … Agradezco sus comentarios y su tiempo. Las personas que aman las miniaturas son todas hermosas y generosas. ¡Agregaré más imprimibles de libros pronto!
Thanks, Irene xx
Your mini Medieval Books are just amazing, I love all things Medieval, you make the process look very easy
Thank you Debra!💗💗
I don’t know if I agree regarding the process looking (or being) easy 😄… I always like to include some bloopers to prove that point! I encourage people to push through because NOTHING is neat or smooth behind the camera either… I also get horribly frustrated!
But I DO agree about loving the Medieval period… there is nothing like it! 💗💗🏰
Salve, sono una miniaturista di piccoli diari, mi piacerebbe rilegare dei piccoli libri medievali ma non trovo gli interni. Io rilego con la pelle e mi piacerebbe trovare dei piccoli punzoni a ruota. Mi potete aiutare a trovare dei punzoni o come fare dei disegni su pelle? Grazie
Perla
Hello Perla! I am very sorry for the huge delay in reply, but I’ve had some crazy circumstances!
I don’t know if I understand you correctly… are you able to download my book printables now? They are in the video descriptions of each of the 3 videos (Mini Medieval Manuscripts).
As for the ‘wheel punches’, are you referring to a mini hole punch? The only one I know of is on Amazon, here is the link https://amzn.to/2Xh3RQB
I hope this helps you! Irene xx
Ciao Perla! Mi dispiace molto per l’enorme ritardo nella risposta, ma ho avuto alcune circostanze pazzesche!
Non so se ho capito bene… riesci a scaricare i miei libri stampabili adesso? Sono nelle descrizioni video di ciascuno dei 3 video (Mini manoscritti medievali).
Per quanto riguarda i “pugni ruota”, ti riferisci a un mini perforatore? L’unico che conosco è su Amazon, ecco il link https://amzn.to/2Xh3RQB
Spero che questo ti aiuta! Irene xx
I have been learning bookbinding for the past few years, these little books are gorgeous and I want to make them! And I am in a medieval history organization so these are truly fascinating. I am so excited that I saw this! You are a clever woman. Kind regards, Julia
Oh my goodness… how wonderful to have you here! And a fellow Medieval soul too… hooray 👏🏽👏🏽!! It must be so interesting to learn bookbinding, that’s amazing.
Anything tiny is captivating, but when it’s Medieval too, it just blows my mind! I hope to create many more ancient treasures, together 💗💗💗
Wow, wow and more wows. Such amazing detail and beautiful work. Your attention to detail is beyond belief and the finished products are stunning. Can’t wait to give this a go – although I will need to collect a few bits first. Thanks for the video and looking forward to part 3.
Oh Jacqui, what makes it worthwhile to create these “incredibly-difficult-to-make-videos”… is YOU!!! It’s just so great when people see the detail… thank you SO kindly!