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Writer's pictureImagine We Could

How To: Make Affordable Bookmarks

Updated: Jan 30, 2024

Are you tired of losing your page number every time you put your book down? Say goodbye to folded corners and hello to a world of fun and functional bookmarks! Here are three quick and easy options to add ease, efficiency, and style to your reading experience.

 

Option 1: Paint Chip Bookmarks


Do you love free stuff? This bookmark is perfect for you and costs almost nothing! At your nearest Home Depot, Lowes, Menards or any hardware store that sells paint, you can grab free paint strip samples in your favorite color swatch to DIY your own colorful bookmark.


Materials Needed:

  • Paint swatch

  • Hole punch

  • Embroidery string and tassel


Directions:

  1. Go to your nearest hardware store to grab your favorite paint color swatch

  2. Use a hole punch to make one hole on the top of the swatch

  3. Tie your color string through the hole

  4. Finished! Save your-page and look forward to a colorful read.


We love this option because of its affordability while also looking like a real bookmark. A pro tip from us is to grab a bunch of different color schemes so that you can have a bookmark that always matches the front cover of your current read!


 


Option 2: Book List Bookmark


Need to keep your favorite-reads in order? Why not create a ‘Book-List Bookmark’ and mark your progress throughout the year! This bookmark includes a slip of paper that allows you to document every book you have read for the year, while also using fun colors and a tassel to easily mark your spot. 


Materials Needed:

  • Cardstock paper

  • Scissors

  • Glue Stick

  • Yarn

  • Printer

  • Hole Punch

  • Optional: charm/tassel


Directions:

  1. Download and print the template from here, making sure to print both sides of cardstock paper front and back

  2. Cut out and fold the template in half and fold flaps inwards. Glue flaps down to create a type of "pocket"

  3. Use a hole puncher to punch a hole in the top of your bookmark

  4. Tie string through the loop (optional: add a charm/tassel to the end of the string)

  5. Print out the “Books I’ve Read This Year” insert, cut it out, and stick it inside the bookmark

  6. Enjoy your new bookmark!


This bookmark is a fantastic method of tracking your progress, and is super fun to look back on and remember every single book you have read over the year. For those of you that are avid readers, it can be difficult to keep straight what you have read, and this bookmark completely takes that issue away. A pro tip from us is to use a few different highlighters to use when rating each book, so that if someone is asking for a book recommendation you have a list right in front of you with all the good and the bad listed clearly!


 

Option 3: Bookmark Bow


Do you have bows lying around (Christmas bows, hair bows, etc.)? One way to repurpose them is to make it into a bookmark! It is a cute, fun and simple way to spice up your book.


Materials Needed:

  • Bow

  • Elastic band

  • Glue (hot glue gun/super glue preferred)

  • Scissors


Directions:

  1. Grab the elastic and cut it to the length needed to fit around the book (lightly stretched)

  2. Use glue to connect both ends of the elastic

  3. Grab your bow and use glue to attach the bow to the elastic band where the two ends connect

  4. Lay the elastic and bow flat on a table until dry

  5. Done! The bow book mark is ready to be used!


This is a fun, and stylish option for any book lover and can look vastly different depending on the bow that is used. If bows are not your style, you can really use any small object that can be glued to elastic, and won't damage your book covers when pressed against them. A few options could be any patch of your choice, a large vinyl sticker, a medal/ribbon, or even a small stuffed animal.


 

Losing your page number is the worst, and can be a frustrating experience to constantly search for where you left off, possibly even experiencing spoilers in the process. Bookmarks may seem like a small and unnecessary tool, but a simple paint sample strip can save you the headache and time of trying to pick up where you left off, or from damaging your book by dog earing the pages.


We hope you enjoyed these bookmark tutorials, leave a comment down below of which style you are planning to try out!


 


Want to see first hand how to make these and other awesome bookmarks?!

Come to our event on Wednesday, February 28th in the atrium of the Carlson School of Business [321 S 19th Ave Minneapolis, MN 55455 United States].





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