Clamshell Boxes

Course Code: 26FBM200I

This one week, in-person workshop takes place at CBA on Friday, December 4th, from 6PM to 9PM ET and Saturday and Sunday, December 5th - 6th, from 11AM to 5PM ET.

• Friday, December 4th, from 6PM to 9PM ET
• Saturday, December 5th, from 11AM to 5PM ET
• Sunday, December 6th, from 11AM to 5PM ET
  

Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on November 22 at 11:59 pm.

About the Workshop:

This in-person class at Center for Book Arts is taught by instructor Hadley Vogel.

Learn the art of the clamshell box, a cornerstone of bookbinding and book conservation. In this hands-on class, students will design and construct a custom, cloth-covered clamshell box to house a book, print set, or object of their choice. Through demonstrations and guided instruction, participants will practice precision measuring, accurate board cutting, and professional gluing techniques.
Alongside technical skills, the course introduces creative approaches to boxmaking as a book artist’s medium: how enclosures can function as part of the artwork’s narrative, offering an additional layer of meaning, protection, and presentation.

Required Materials:

• A book that you would like to make a box for 

• Thickness: Anywhere between 1” and 2”

• The book itself should be no smaller than 4”x6” and no larger than 11”x9”

• Bone folder

• 3” metal triangles

All other materials will be provided by the Center for Book Arts at no additional cost.

About the Instructor

Hadley Vogel is a second-generation bookbinder who apprenticed from an early age under her father Paul Vogel of the Vogel Bindery in East Hampton, NY. In addition to her apprenticeship on Long Island, Hadley worked under master binder Martín Farfán Patiño, of Farfán Encuadernadores, Mexico City, MX, where she honed her skills, working with rare books and institutional collections. Hadley’s work is rooted in traditional structures, techniques, and materials, with a keen interest in experimentation and unusual materials.

All images courtesy of the instructor unless otherwise noted.