Ideas for Making Bookmarks

Bookmarks are simple and fun to make. You can use any small, rather flat item as a decoration. Simply glue it to the front of the bookmark. You can personalize bookmarks by choosing charms that represent your interests or those of the recipients if you're making them as gifts. For Christmas-themed bookmarks, use gift tags applied to a piece of white cardboard. Fill in the "to" and "from" fields in ink colors that match the tags, glue on a piece of ribbon and attach a tiny ornament to the end..

Picture Bookmarks

Take pictures with a digital camera and upload them to your computer, or choose those you love from your album and scan them into your computer. Use a photo-editing program to change the size to 2 inches wide by 5 inches long on each picture you plan to use. Experiment with different photos until you find those that will look good when altered to bookmark size.

Print each picture onto heavy card stock. You should be able to fit about eight pictures on an 8 1/2- by 11-inch sheet of stock.

Cut each picture out, and laminate it or cover it with clear contact paper. Glue decorative trim around the edges, or add a ribbon or a tassel.

Poetry Bookmarks

Type a favorite poem, or one you've written yourself, into your computer's word-processing program, Use a font face and type size that will reduce each line of the poem to about 1 1/2 inches wide or less, and use a poem that will be no more than 4 inches long when complete.

Add a small picture or clip art at the top and reduce it to about 2 by 2 inches.

Print out the poem on card stock, or print it on printer paper and glue it to white cardboard, posterboard or construction paper. Trim the bookmark to size, about 2 by 6 inches. Laminate it or cover it with clear contact paper.

To personalize your bookmark, type the poet's name in the same font as the poem, but use a larger font size that will diisplay at about 1 1/2 inches high by 5 inches wide. Print it separately and glue it sideways to the back of the bookmark before laminating or covering it. Use a contrasting or complementary color for the personalization.

Dried Flower Bookmarks

Cut bookmarks about 2 by 6 inches from heavy cardboard, poster board or card stock. Purchase potpourri that contains small dried flowers, leaves and decorative items, and glue pieces to one side of the bookmark. Arrange them before gluing to find a pattern you like. Cover the bookmark with clear contact paper and add a ribbon with a flower glued to the end.

For a variation, choose the potpourri items you want to use and spray-paint them before gluing them to the bookmark. Use a matching or contrasting ribbon.

References

• Charm Factory

Resources

• Discount School Supply: Contact Paper