What’s in the post
Here are 9 ideas for crafting your next DIY bookmarks for all you book lovers and handicraft artistas. Read my 5 favorite ideas that I’ve tried and my 4 soon-to-be-favorites on my list to try next. Get your artistic inspiration here!
My 5 Favorite “Go-to” DIY Bookmark Ideas
- EASY: Use a bookmark template to print a great quote with a pretty background.
- Blank Bookmark template in Canva (or search “bookmark” in Canva)
- Blank Bookmark template for MS Powerpoint or Libre Office Impress (free download also available in my Free Library which you can access if you Sign Up for My Newsletter).
- EASIEST: Print one that’s already done for you like this: Learning Inspiration Bookmarks
- Note: Print on Cardstock, cut, then laminate.
- Print a quote on printer paper, then glue it onto cardstock and decorate as desired.
- Sources for quotes: Shakespeare, Copywork, Living Books you are currently reading, great literature, scripture, inspirational philosophers, history great quotes, learning quotes, Charlotte Mason quotes. Many, many more…
- Cut light-colored cardstock into bookmark-sized pieces (I like 2”x6”) and paint with watercolor.
- Ideas for painting: Nature study, science, mimicking the style of the semester’s artist or some other artist that you enjoy, or simply your own imagination.
- Cut out a list you are trying to memorize and glue it onto cardstock.
- Ideas for lists: recipes, math formulas, science definitions, poetry recitation, scripture memory, key history dates, daily schedules or checklists, affirmations.
- Practice hand lettering by using a familiar quote on plain cardstock. Embellish as needed.
- Examples: When you learn a new hand lettering font, or when you want to use a favorite a commonplace quotation on a bookmark for a gift using your best handwriting.
Samples of my favorites
Here are some of my favorites that I had lying around.
My Soon-to-be-Favorites I want to try next
These are the ideas I found for making a DIY bookmark. I can’t wait to try some of these.
Please note: you can find TONS of creative ideas out there, and I’ve listed a few at the bottom of this post, but many of them seem like they would take a TON of time! Yes, sure, I can hand carve a bookmark from a tree that I’ve grown from seed, but maybe not today.
Some of the more intriguing ones include using materials other than paper.
- Duct tape looks fun – I saw some nice corner-style bookmarks that used duct tape, but I personally don’t enjoy corner bookmarks.
- Vintage material on a sewn bookmark looks fun, but I don’t have much vintage scrap material on hand, so that will have to wait.
- I am not going to crochet a bookmark! – that seems like the bookmark would be too fat to be useful.
- Even flower pressing onto a bookmark seems like you would end up with a thick bookmark that breaks when you use it. But it would be pretty. Some of them I saw used clear contact paper which could work nicely. So who knows? Someday, maybe.
For now, I’ll stick to ideas that use paper crafting for my DIY bookmarks.
Favorite New ideas
Here are my favorites to try next – maybe even by the time I finish writing this post!
- Washi tape
- Paint chip samples
- Book List Pocket Bookmark – it has a removable list that you can track your books with
- Watercolor hydrangeas
- Coloring Pages bookmarks
FAQ
Making your own bookmarks is easy. If you’ve ever grabbed an envelope of mail to hold your place in a book, you probably realized that a bookmark can simply be a piece of paper. Why not use a pretty piece of paper? If you use thicker paper, like cardstock, you are well on your way to making your own bookmarks. Cut cardstock to an appropriate size and decorate as inspired. Laminate for additional holding power.
I prefer using thick paper cardstock as the base layer of my DIY bookmarks. It has a good thickness to last a bit and it has a lot of flexibility in how you finish your design. Anything up to 65 or 80 lb paper will print in my home printer. For thicker weights of paper, you may need to stick to an all-handmade design and skip the printer.
Paper is graded by weight. Test out what you like for your DIY bookmarks. Find the balance between paper thickness, how easy it is to use with your design method, and how long it will last. For instance, you can get away with a lighter cardstock if you plan on laminating your bookmark.
Some of the most beautiful bookmarks I have were gifts that were all handmade. A good design sense (or a good template) is the starting point. If you add words, keep lots of white space in your bookmark for the wow factor of a simple, striking design. I find watercolor on heavy-weight paper especially pretty.
Keep Learning
Related Posts
Some other DIY Bookmark Ideas and Lists
- Fun DIY Bookmarks for Readers || DIY Candy
- 25 DIY Easy Bookmark Ideas to Make || Gathering Beauty
- how to Make Easy and Colorful Homemade Bookmarks from Washi Tape || Hey Creative Sister
- Bookmark with Booklist Pocket || Teal Notes
- Mother’s Day Watercolor Bookmark || Craftberry bush
- Free Printable Coloring Page Bookmarks || Gathering Beauty
