If you do all your reading on a Kindle, please carry on. If you’re like me though and still enjoy the feel and smell of an actual book in your hands, you’ll appreciate the need for bookmarks.
I know some people ‘dog ear’ the page of a book, but we grew up reading books from the library and book mobile. Dog-earing a book was akin to graffiti. It just wasn’t done.
Now that we have a Little Free Library (LFL) at the curb, I’ve found a built-in excuse to make bookmarks. I made several out of postcards for our LFL dedication and they were a hit. There are only three left.
Postcard bookmarks
Using leftover scraps from card-making and other paper crafts I made another handful of bookmarks. I added stickers I had on hand, punched the curvy top with my tag-maker and voila, instant bookmarks.
Bookmarks made from leftover paper scraps
If your busy and yearning for a quick crafting project, give it a try. You can create a small, functional craft in a short amount of time using minimal tools. I’ve made bookmarks from the old pages of a wall calendar, glossy fashion magazines, postcards and paper scraps. I made one earlier this year using a seed packet. Let your imagination be your guide.
Bookmark and an envelope made from a realtor’s calendar
Paper piecing calendar bookmark
What to do with your surplus:
- Tuck extras in your favorite places to read. I keep several in my nightstand drawer
- Use them for stocking stuffers at Christmas
- Set them out as place-markers at a dinner party. Add your guests initial with stickers or fancy lettering
- Give them to your child’s teacher as a small thank you gift
- Drop them off at a LFL in your community
Bookmarks and a recent book donation to the LFL
Gardening Nirvana 
Excellent idea! I do use old postcards and envelopes and whatnots…But this is soo much prettier!
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Old postcards make great bookmarks, with the added perk of reminding you of the friend that sent it. 🙂
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I am incapable of dog earring the page too, so book marks have always been an attraction. I have a range and try to match the book I am reading with the same style of bookmark. 🙂
I love these ones you have made, especially the idea of one made from a seed packet. How do you make the curved top? It gives a very stylish look.
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Anne, what a creative idea, matching your book mark with your title. I love the bookmarks you made for your 60th. They’re beautiful and unique.
I have a punch intended for tag making. You pull the paper of your book mark through one end, then punch the other, giving it that look. You could also make a template and fussy cut the top. I use that punch for all sorts of things.
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These are beautiful! I love the smell and feel of a good book, but my back also loves not carrying what would be a massive library when we move.
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Good point, Will. I like the idea or reading a book and then passing it on. Now that I have the Little Free Library I’m golden. I only keep reference books for gardening, cooking, home repairs, etc. With Google at our fingertips, even those seem less and less relevant.
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They look wonderful! I also adore ‘real’ books, I just can’t bring myself to buy a Kindle!
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Yeah! Another paper book lover. Thanks for commenting, Aileen.
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I LOVE that Pixar movie “Up” I love how it told it like it is and within 5 minutes of the movie starting I was bawling like a baby. At least I made it past the bit where his wife died, my daughters (adult) turned off and refused to watch the rest! Loved the movie, loved the tenacity of the kid, the tired grumpiness of the old man and just adored the fact that it was a real story for once, no thought about making it politically correct to taint it’s inner beauty 🙂 Your bookmarks are scrumptious Ms Alys but forgedaboud bookmarks and go have some more fun with Ms Petals, this aint gonna last forever you know!
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Narf77, you would need a steely persona NOT to cry at that Up! intro. It was beautifully done, so heartfelt and relateable. Everyone I know cried at that intro. I hope Pixar and Disney take that to heart. It was a great movie. I loved the creative characters,
I’m glad you like the bookmarks. I actually wrote this post the Sunday before I left and scheduled it for Wednesday, so I could leave a few bloggy breadcrumbs while I was away having a ball. 😉
Thank you!
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Glad you had a ball Ms Alys. Would you like to do some of my studies for me? I am sure that you are rested and relaxed where I am due to explode like a fire cracker about now…I will go visit Ms Petals Daye and you can do my studies…sounds like a fair swap to me 😉
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My dear you are long overdue for a holiday from what I can tell. I’m happy to study for you as long as it doesn’t involve math. If it does, then we’re both doomed. Is your course self directed (so you can take a break) or are you required to finish it on a schedule?
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If this course involved math I would have quit after a week Ms Alys ;). I fear I am a quintessential dunce when it comes to math and all of it’s mates (physics anyone?!) Our course is online and self directed but no breaks for us as it needs to be finished in a year and our lecturer signed us all up for 24 units where last year we only did 12 so you can see why we are all raced off our little cotton socks…just knocked out another task yesterday…created a pdf/magazine in InDesign with all of our own images (thank GOODNESS for a needy blog…I have a BIG back catalog of images 😉 ) with a series of tutorial hints and tips for how to take photos. You would be amazed at how long it takes to assemble tutorials, images (and process them ready for assembling into a magazine) and then put them all together into a magazine using industry standards…people just don’t realise what goes on behind the scenes when they buy a magazine. SO glad this is just a phase and we aren’t going to be doing this for a living! Sort of like creative math…but WAY too much of it 😉 We will get a rest over the summer as School is out over Christmas and New year for 6 – 8 weeks so we can bask like lizards on the deck, suck down tequila sunrises like there are no tomorrow…blind the nosy neighbour (I can SEE you Frank!) who waves his binoculars in our direction on a regular basis with my bare whale like carcass sunning myself on the deck and I can garden…I CAN GARDEN! OH the bliss of it all 🙂
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I’m terrible at math, too. It simple doesn’t seem to find a home in my brain. My husband and both boys are great at it and in fact my oldest son plans to major in math in college. We know those genes didn’t come from me.
I’ve since looked at your two working blogs, and now have a much better understanding of what you’re studying and what a lot of work it’s been. I’m impressed.
Hurray for time to garden and for time to do nothing. Do you really have a neighbor with binoculars. Eh gads!
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Ha! There we go again….. I have a number of half completed bookmarks scattered over my work table being completed just for you 🙂 You gotta stop pinching my surprises!! You may read these comments whilst sunning about in Victoria with your bestie – hope you are all having a ton of fun!!
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(((Pauline))) Serendipity doo-da, serendipity-day!
Bookmarks? For moi??? I love it.
Yes, we had tons of fun. I scheduled two blog posts for my absence so to keep some momentum going.
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Once again, you inspire me, Alys!! I can only make bookmarks in my head today….I,too, love to make them and they are such a great way to use up those bits and pieces that are too pretty to throw away, and the snippets of ribbon that I seem to save too. When I get some
clear time, making bookmarks for our local Little Free Library would be a fun project with purpose!
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Mary Elizabeth, this will be the perfect craft for you as you get settled in your new home. You can make them and drop them off here and there, along with books. Perhaps you’ll have your own LFL one day. I could see that, too.
Thanks for your kind words. xox
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Creative as always, Alys.
Like you, I still read the “old fashioned way”. No kindle for me yet 🙂
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Thank you, Laurie. Suddenly every piece of paper that comes in the door gets a second look. I’m making a few bookmarks from a humane society flyer. Kittens and puppies on beautiful card stock will get a second life.
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Always looking at something in a unique way 😀 The Cow is sure cute with perfect wording too. That must have made your day finding that one. How do you cut only *one* side of the rectangle with the paper punch?
I see my favourite Pixar dog Dug on top of the pile. I just love him so so much, so that would be my favourite. I do love books, start many and then don’t finish. When do you find time to read a book? xoxox off to sleep now. I think we’ve each ordered the same thing for 2 days in a row, we are pea’s in a pod 😀 I’m having so much fun mwaaaaaa!
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Isn’t that cow book something? The fun part with children’s books, is I can usually read them standing next to the library, so they are only out of circulation for a few moments.
I have a Creative Memories tag maker that allows you to slip the paper in through the top and either punch the tag size or pull the paper out of the bottom end so that you only cut the top. Does that make sense? I don’t think it would work with a die cut.
I read at different times of the day when I can fit it in, and lately I’ve been reading at night. I read in the car at times when I’m waiting to pick up the boys. I also soak in a the tub and read while my muscles relax. This past weekend I spent a decadent afternoon sitting in the garden reading with Mike. We both finished our books within ten minutes of each other. It was really relaxing.
Yeah for Dug the Dog. What a great movie. It was nice of Pixar to offer virtual stickers via Facebook. They’re almost as much fun as the real ones.
Yes, peas in a pod for sure.
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I love this, a lot. Esp the table maker idea… you must have a punch for this though? I have saved every calendar for the last 10 years— Love the envelope idea too. I do have templates for that… makes me want to go do that right now?
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Hurray for saving calendars. Now you’ve got lots of winter projects at hand: envelopes, gift card holders, bookmarks. I’ve even used a few calendar pages to line drawers. Can’t wait to see what you do.
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I have figured out why I have such a hard time getting through all my reading. I arrive late and get to read all the comments too which are almost as entertaining as the post. I love the bookmarks! I have lots and use anything I can find for one. A lot of the books I read have little stickers on pages that need to be read again. They don’t make good bookmarks though. I have a kindle, an app on my phone and tablet so I can read anywhere at anytime. But a lot of the books I read on Kindle, if they are excellent, I buy hard copies of and loan them out. Bought more bookcases this weekend and my sister is going to help me put them together so I can get more out of storage. I miss my books. I’ll have to give the bookmark thing a try soon.
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