Instructables has a very well explained article on how to bind your own book.

I came across the article when researching binding methods for the artist’s book i’m making in my papermaking class. My book is almost complete, but I won’t be using exactly the same technique to bind it as that in the article above, as the paper i’m using is handmade and therefore thicker.

I’d like to do something more like the book pictured above (a long-stitched book). I found some old leather boots in a pile of disregarded clothing, and i’m going to try and salvage the leather and the buckles from them, to make the cover of my book. I’m quite excited now, to proceed further, but I only have one of these classes a week, and all my materials are at the atelier.