Japanese Stab Binding Template: A Printable 4-Hole Guide

By Crafts editorial team · Updated October 28, 2026

A Japanese stab binding template is a printed guide that marks four evenly spaced holes a set distance from the spine edge, so you can pierce a stack of loose sheets and sew a clean, decorative spine. It is the binding to choose when you want the stitching to be seen.

Where a pamphlet stitch hides its thread inside the fold, stab binding puts it on the outside. Four holes in a neat vertical line, a thread that wraps the spine edge, and a pattern that looks far more complicated than it is. The catch is that the holes have to be exactly in line and exactly the right distance from the edge. That is a job for a printed guide, not an eye.

Why people love this binding

Stab binding has a look that reads as handmade and expensive at the same time. A plain card cover, a sheet of decorative paper and a contrasting thread are all you need to make a notebook that looks like it came from a stationery boutique.

It also suits a different stack. Instead of folding sheets into a signature, you take loose pages, square them up, add a front and back cover, and sew through the lot. That means:

• You can add or remove pages while you plan the book.
• You can mix different papers in one notebook.
• Printing is simpler, because you do not need to think about fold order.

What the template does

The kit has a 4-hole stab binding guide for each of three book sizes: A5, A6 and Half-Letter. Each guide shows the hole positions from the head of the spine down to the tail, and how far in from the edge to pierce. You clip it on top of your squared stack and pierce through the marks.

What goes wrong without it? The holes drift in or out, the thread pulls the cover to one side, and the finished book looks like it has a bend in the spine. The guide keeps the line dead straight.

Step by step

1. Print the interiors. Choose a style from the notebook interior sheets: lined, dot grid, squared or Cornell notes. Print at actual size.
2. Cut or collect the cover. Use the cover template for your size, printed on a decorative paper or on card. For stab binding, you want a front and a back that are the same size as the page block, or a touch larger.
3. Square the stack. Tap the sheets on a table so the spine edge is perfectly flat. Put the front and back covers on.
4. Clip the guide. Set the 4-hole guide on the top, aligned with the spine edge. Use two or three clips to hold everything firm.
5. Pierce. An awl or a thick needle, straight down, through every layer. Take your time on this step; it decides how the book looks.
6. Sew. Following the stitch path in the Start Here guide, thread the needle, leave a tail and work through the holes, wrap the spine edge, then tie off inside or outside.

Pierce from the top, then flip the book and check that the holes exit where you expect. If one is off, fix it before stitching.

The classic stitch, in plain words

The traditional four-hole pattern goes like this. You start at the second hole and bring the thread out, leaving a tail. Then wrap over the spine and go back through the same hole. Move to the third hole and wrap, then to the fourth and wrap. Next you take the thread around the top and bottom edges to cover the corners, and work back along the spine to the start. Finally, tie the ends together and trim.

You do not have to memorise this. The Start Here guide in the kit shows the path, and the template means each stitch lands in a hole that is already the right place.

Choosing thread, paper and cover

Thread. A strong thread that does not fray, such as waxed linen or embroidery thread in a single colour. Two strands twisted give a bolder stitch.

Paper. For notebook pages, normal printer paper is fine. If you want something that feels better under a pen, use a heavier weight for the interior. Stab binding suits a stack that is not too thick, because piercing through many sheets gets tough.

Cover. A stiff paper or thin card, ideally with a pattern. The kit has twelve decorative papers you can print to wrap or glue on a plain cover, and nine cover flats you can use as a base. A pattern with a lot of colour hides small flaws and gives the spine a pleasant frame for the thread.

Making it open easily

Stab bindings are sewn near the edge, so they open less wide than a pamphlet. Three habits help:

• Keep the stack modest. Thin stacks open more easily than thick ones.
• Leave a little margin on the page. Interiors with a wider inner margin, so your pen never has to go into the gutter.
• Crease a hinge in the cover. A fold parallel to the spine, a short distance in, lets the cover bend without cracking.

Projects where it shines

• A5 notebooks with dot grid pages and a printed pattern cover.
• Half-Letter planner notebooks, where you can add a few pages later.
• A6 pocket notebooks as small gifts, sewn with a bright thread.
• A set of matching notebooks in different colours for a stationery table.

If you want to sell, remember that you may sell the physical books you make from these files, not the files themselves. The guide to pricing handmade notebooks helps with the numbers.

Next steps

Start with a single A6 book. It uses little paper and teaches you the stitch path quickly. Then move to A5. If you want the simpler technique first, the pamphlet stitch template guide is the shortest route to a finished book. To choose or print covers that fit, see printable notebook covers.

A straight spine is the difference between a notebook that looks handmade and one that looks homemade. Print the guide, clip it, and let the marks do the measuring.