Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Take a Break: Make a Bookmark

Truth be told, I’ve had some nice bookmarks over the years, but I’m forever loosing them. More often than not, I use a scrap piece of paper (such as the shopping list I forgot to take to the store). Every now and then someone gives me one that I keep for a while. If they are really nice, they don’t end up in the trash, and eventually I’ll find them again and use them until they once again mysteriously disappear.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, a book with a customized bookmark might make a very nice present.

Below are some fun bookmarks to try:

• Take a photograph of someone. Glue to a piece of cardstock and then cut out the person, as close as possible. Cover and back with clear contact paper. If you like, punch a hole to attach a tassels. My husband made a birth announcement for our youngest, just before Christmas, using the same technique. Instead of a bookmark, his idea was an ornament. It’s really fun to see his baby face on our friends’ Christmas trees, particularly now that he’s 18. Check out bookmarks with tassels, for a good tutorial on making tassels, as well as a variation on the photograph bookmark.

• Have some odds and ends of jewelry? Repurpose it into a book mark. Using a 16 inch piece of ribbon, sew or glue, a “jump ring” to each end, to which you can add a few odds and ends of jewelry, charms or whatever else sticks your fancy. Also check out the tutorial, Charming Bookmarks.

• For someone that’s always painting, be it their house or an artist, use a paint chip card. You can punch a hole at the top and string some rattan or a tassel at the top. Write or draw something clever on it.

• For the person that needs “readers,” the bookmark/glasses holder will solve that problem. Use an inexpensive glasses case (Dollar Store), or make one. Sew or glue a ribbon to the top edge and make it sufficiently long enough loop around most books. For an all in one project, try Eyeglass Bookmark Tutorial.

• I know that my cookbooks are filled with scraps of paper to mark favorite recipes. A set of cookbook markers would be very helpful. You can make your own by putting different cooking related items on each bookmark, make your own template or download a set for free.

• It’s really frustrating to be using a new recipe, only to have the cookbook page refusing to stay put. Solve that problem by making a magnetic bookmark. Take a 9 inch strip of cardstock (width depends on what you want to put on the bookmark), and fold in half. On the inside of the bookmark, attach a magnetic strip about a half an inch from the bottom, to each side. Make sure they line up correctly. You can pick up magnetic stripping at any craft store as well as hard ware stores. Since I love making things out of duct tape, think I’ll try this with some of the new designer duct tape. http://duckbrand.com

Check out 16 Creative and Cool Bookmarks

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