Make bookmarks - free templates for tinkering

• Classic: Bookmark for printing
  • material
  • manual
• Romantic: pen bookmark
  • material
  • manual
• Modern: bookmark corners
  • material
  • manual
  • Design Ideas

Who does not know him, this moment: One has started to read a great new book and there is simply no bookmark to mark where it should go next time. True reading friends do not spoil their literature with ugly dog-ears - certainly not when a really stylish bookmark is so quick and easy to make, as with our three varied guides!

DIY: Simply make a variety of bookmarks yourself!

Of course, you can buy nice bookmarks for little money or use imaginative alternatives like beautiful postcards or photos. However, self-made is sometimes more appealing - especially if it takes little longer than scouring the area for a suitable replacement. In a short time, you can make the perfect bookmark for your new book, from a simple classic to a romantic feather shape or the absolutely modern corner bookmark in the design of cute animals, figures or chic patterns. By the way: A great addition to any book gift - just add a handmade bookmark. Our easy-to-follow instructions show even the absolute novice craftsman how it works quickly, cheaply and without much time.

Classic: Bookmark for printing

The eternal classic under the bookmarks comes in a characteristic rectangular shape, is printed with a pretty design and usually brings even a little tape to find the connection in the started book even faster. The following model is very easy to retouch and can therefore be tackled independently by small bookworms.

Difficulty: 1/5 (5 would be the professional level)
Time required: about 20 minutes - depending on your skills
Material costs: less than 5 euros, as almost everything should already be available in the household

material

a) Template *
b) Paper (best of all nice à Tonkarton, which is also available in pretty colors)
c) printer (to print the template)
d) scissors
e) glue
f) punch or punch
g) Pins and decorative material as desired to attach additional ornaments
h) possibly laminator or: laminating / acrylic gloss lacquer plus brush
i) Wool threads, gift ribbon of fabric or the like (matching the other design)

* Choose your preferred template! Among other things, we have Oriental Mandala bookmarks for you, which can later be painted colorfully. With a diameter of 9.5 cm, the round mandalas are suitable for demenstprechend wide books. Not only these can be personalized by you, but also the bookmark with the cute unicorn.

1 of 2

Click here to download the Mandala bookmarks

Click here to download the unicorn bookmarks

manual

Step 1: First select your favorite template and print it out on the prepared cardboard box.

Step 2: Carefully cut your future bookmarks along the cut edges.

Tip: You can paint the bookmark only after the decoration - in this way you have more hold when painting with a larger piece of paper.

Step 3: You can then add your own design to your design, such as adding small drawings or inscriptions, or perhaps sticking on ornaments. Our bookmark templates can be painted.

Tip: Also think about the back! If you do not want to leave them untouched, print out a corresponding counterpart and stick it clean after cutting out on the already existing front part of the bookmark. Alternatively: Simply reshape yourself. Even some beautifully written words with sweeping lines can achieve a great effect.

Attention: If you do not have a laminator and then want to paint instead of laminate, do not use pens that smudge easily - such as pen holders.

Step 4: If you are satisfied with your design, then it is time to fix. Either you use a laminator or you coat the front and back very thinly with laminating glue or acrylic gloss lacquer. Simply dilute a small amount of it with a few drops of water and apply gently. Make sure that the paper does not get too wet - this would make it forgiven. However, if you order it right, you will not only get beautiful gloss (like magazine paper) but also a much longer shelf life for your bookmark.

Tip: To avoid wasting any film when laminating this relatively small area, cut it out beforehand. The big rest, you just pick up for more bookmarks!

Step 5: The painted work will of course be allowed to dry for a sufficient amount of time (according to the product description of your paint or glue), while with the laminated version any protruding film edges should be straightened with the scissors.

Step 6: Then place the head of the bookmark as close to the center of the bookmark as possible (or even at an angle, if you like it better) under a punched page and punch in a hole for the following ribbon.

Step 7: If you already have a finished ribbon, take it only twice, push the closed side through the hole in the bookmark and then pull the two loose threads through the resulting loop. Tighten well and your bookmark is done!

Tip: If you do not have any worth seeing ribbon, you can weave woolen threads or textile gift ribbons, knot well, and create the classic bookmark ribbon in no time!

Romantic: pen bookmark

Whether world literature of romance or magical fantasy adventures: Some books need a particularly original bookmark! How about a delicate feather in bright colorful colors ">

Difficulty: 1/5
Time required: about 15 minutes - depending on skills
Material costs: under 7 euros

material

a) 2 types of washi tape (colors of your choice, delicate airy tones fit the feather look especially well!)
b) Ribbon (made of woolen threads or textile ribbon)
c) scissors

manual

Step 1: Think about how long you want your spring to be. Depending on the size of the book, the length measures to be preferred can vary greatly - between 5 and 15 cm will probably fit best!

Step 2: Then roll twice the length of Washi Tape from one of the two rolls and cut it off.

Step 3: Glue this strip over the (non-sticky) edge of the second strip of the other color, slightly overlapping it, while pulling it off of its roll and then cutting it off at the same length.

Tip: "Very slightly overlapping" means that one washi tape strip should cover the other with about 1 to 2 millimeters. Be sure to work as straight as possible along the entire route!

Step 4: Now you should hold a two-tone and double-wide strip of Washi Tape in your hands. Along the overlap edge, place your ribbon down to the middle - of course on the adhesive side of the Washi Tapes. Again, it is important to attach the thread as straight as possible.

Step 5: Now fold both adhesive sides of the Washi tape lengthwise so that the thread is covered from both sides - it now forms the stable body of the spring.

Tip: Take your time to glue everything as clean and smooth as possible and get the thread right in the middle. This is how it looks most beautiful!

Step 6: Now the final size of the bookmark is reached, but you still have to work on the spring shape - or cut better. Cut both the lower and upper edges as round as shown.

Tip: At the lower part first cut a few centimeters along the thread upwards, before the spring-typical curve comes. This results in the characteristic stem of the spring.

7th step: When the shape is complete, cut left and right at a distance of a few millimeters slants downwards running strips in the outer edges - of course without severing the thread or cut off one of the strips completely. This creates the gentle spring look.

Modern: bookmark corners

The cute corners are absolutely hip and offer a trendy alternative to the classic bookmark. Practically, they are still, because in the closed book, they do not fall on or out - perfect to take away!

Difficulty: 2/5
Time required: about 30 minutes - depending on skills
Material costs: under 10 euros

material

a) 15 x 15 cm cardboard in the desired colors (specify in advance - such as gray, white and black for a raccoon, red and white for a fox or yellow and black for cool minions)
b) pencil
c) ruler
d) glue
e) design materials such as shaky eyes, whiskers ..

manual

Step 1: Fold your base paper (ie the one that has the bookmark base color) first as follows: Halve by placing one edge exactly on top of the other. Tighten the fold well and unfold again.

Step 2: Repeat the same with the two unfolded edges - fold over each other, tighten and unfold. Now, a cross made of folded edges should be in the center of your paper.

Step 3: Place the paper in front of you with one corner facing up, one toward you and the two remaining to the left and right. The two crossing fold diagonals from step 2 now connect from top to bottom with pencil and ruler - left and right.

Step 4: The triangles that result from this to the corners cut away, as well as the complete lower (to you) square.

Step 5: What is left now looks a bit like a square with ears. These ears fold over each other on the square, sticking the ear resting on top on the lower one. It creates something like a small bag - this is the corner that can be put on the book pages so beautiful later.

Step 6: Now it's all about designing! As always, there are no limits to creativity.

Design Ideas

• A minion is created with a black stripe on a yellow corner. Then stick Wackelaugen on the strip and paint a "cool" mouth.
• For the raccoon, this would be a black stripe on a gray background, while a fox would need a red-orange base, with white semicircles attached as background colors for the eyes. Whiskers can be painted cute or stick on. Small ears for these animals are simple to make from pasted clay carton triangles. Your favorite animal is not present ">

  Tip: Subsequent painting as described in the instructions for the classic bookmark makes the sweet corners even brighter and more robust.