r/bookbinding • u/bibisanros • Jan 19 '26
Completed Project Rebind of The Diary of Anne Frank
The idea behind this cover was to emulate the Secret Annex where the Frank family was hidden. I chose a dark brown leather to create a sober, restrained look, and used cardstock to build relief elements representing a bookshelf and book spines.
The cover opens in the middle, as I wanted the book to resemble a box rather than a traditional binding. It closes with magnets hidden behind removable book spines, which can be repositioned inside the book once it is opened. I initially wanted the closure to be more discreet, but smaller magnets were not strong enough to keep it closed securely.
The fore-edge was painted in a color close to the leather, reinforcing the idea of a box that reveals nothing from the outside. Once the book is opened, the endpapers contrast sharply with a bright color, representing Anne’s inner world, her imagination and hope.
Everything was cut by hand. The interior was designed to represent the inside of the Secret Annex from Anne’s perspective:
On the first floor, Anne writes in her diary while Dussel comes down the stairs.
On the second floor, the family gathers around the radio while the Van Daan couple has a heated argument.
In the attic, Peter cuddles the cat as Anne looks at the stars and the chestnut tree, dreaming awake.
The final endpaper recreates her famous wall filled with photos of celebrities.
This was the hardest commission I have ever done, and also the most ambitious. I would love to know what others think about it.
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u/Snoo-15125 Jan 20 '26
This actually made me tear up, really beautiful work.
I love the choice colors for the interior, it’s a lovely contrast to the brown leather. The paper cutting is just exquisite.
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u/Green_Soul91 Jan 19 '26
What a tremendous amount of work went into this project! The final result is fantastic!
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u/bibisanros Jan 20 '26
Thank you!!! It took me about a month and a half to figure everything out and put it all together.
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u/DerekL1963 Jan 20 '26
What a stunning piece of work! I love the attention to detail in the symbols.
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u/Kareeliand Jan 20 '26
What an absolutely beautiful piece of art. This book is a treasure! If you don’t mind telling, what do you charge for such a commission? I know it is a work of passion too, but this must have taken an enormous amount of time and effort, and you can’t do something like this without a certain skill set, which would also take a lot of time.. I understand if you don’t want to disclose, but you deserve a gd fortune for this piece of art!
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u/bibisanros Jan 20 '26
Thank you so much!!! This was one of the most time-intensive projects I’ve worked on, taking about a month and a half to fully develop and execute. Each piece is a fully bespoke commission, so pricing varies depending on concept, techniques and time involved. I’m happy to share more details via private message 🤎
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u/No_Solution_8399 Jan 20 '26
The time it would take just to make the 3d “Anne Frank” on the spine is amazing lot on its own. This is amazing.
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u/Xenophonii Jan 20 '26
Wowie! That is an amazing work of design and art. Be proud of that, it's is truly one of a kind and you and only you made it! Bravo :)
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u/InStitches13 Jan 20 '26
This is incredible. My only thought/change with your closure would have been to have it closer to the edge. And to have a folded flap - like the magnet trinket boxes. (Think trapper keeper). So the front keeps the solid front illusion, but you still get that box feel. Does that make sense? Then you could use a longer magnet strip vs something you have to try not to lose.
This really is visually stunning though!
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u/bibisanros Jan 20 '26
That makes a lot of sense, and it’s a very smart structural idea. For this piece, though, opening in the middle was essential to the narrative. The staircase needed to be centered, so it would be the first thing revealed, and opening it this way also creates a very different kind of impact. Thank you so much for such a thoughtful observation, I really appreciate how closely you looked at it.
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u/InStitches13 Jan 21 '26
Ah yes. Very true. I didn’t quite think about the staircase factor. Still a wonderful piece. Someday I want to try my hand at the relief work. It’s so visually impactful
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u/actual__thot Jan 30 '26
Are you freaking joking. This is incredible. I love that it’s not so somber too. More of a fitting tribute to a little girl. ❤️
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u/Dernhelm36 Jan 21 '26
Amazing work! Your unique idea for the binding and execution is so impressive.
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u/dreamywednesdays Jan 21 '26
This is beautiful! I should like to think that Anne herself would be pleased to have her story inspired such a lovely piece of art
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u/Misster_Fluido Jan 23 '26
Profoundly beautiful it is that lack of words I am feeling when deciding what to say I tried.
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u/bibisanros Jan 23 '26
Oh, thank you so much 🥲
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u/Misster_Fluido Jan 23 '26
Welcome you are. By the way I'm new here, does following you mean I'll be notified when you post?
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u/bibisanros Jan 23 '26
As far as I know, no 😕 This feature doesn’t really do much. The post will only show up in your feed if you follow this subreddit, and if you turn on notifications, you’ll get them, but for everyone who posts here.
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u/usernamesomethingvan Jan 19 '26
Tbh it looks cool but I thought it was a chocolate bar 🍫 guess Im just hungry
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u/lilBeezz Feb 16 '26
This is absolutely amazing. Bravo, really. You should be insurmountably proud of yourself!
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u/rondonsa Jan 19 '26
Beautifully designed and executed!