by Carol Ann Conover

Created on: September 19, 2008   Last Updated: May 03, 2010

A handmade gift is always more special and something as simple as a bookmark can be a lovely keepsake. As an avid reader, I absorb about four or five books a month and I have learned to value having bookmarks handy. If you know someone like me, or if you have a child you'd like to encourage to read more or are simply stuck for a gift idea, a bookmark is easy and fun to make.

The bookmarks you make can be plain or decorative and all kinds can be easily personalized. You can use some ordinary household items or they can be made very inexpensively with some beads or trinkets from your local craft store.

Construction paper cut into strips can be collaged with favorite photographs or magazine cut-outs and a glue stick, adding some glitter stickers for the finishing touch. To make sure your paper bookmark is sturdy enough for your attachments, you may want to glue a few strips together or use a backing cut to the same size from a heavier card stock.

Making this type of bookmark is a great project to enjoy with your children at home or in the classroom and your kids will love scouting out the images they want to include. Also, scrapbooking stores have a great variety of decorative papers for any occasion. With young children, be sure to have safety scissors handy and remember to let any glue dry completely before placing it in book.

A length of ribbon can also be used by threading the ends through buttons and tying a simple knot at each end (fabric or thinly wire-edged ribbon works best) making sure you secure the attachments so as not to interfere with closing the book and simply cut any excess away from the knotted ends to give your bookmark a more finished look.

For special books, like one you might read with your family at Christmas time, you can coordinate colored strands of embroidery thread and attach fancy glass beads or other holiday trinkets on the ends, using items from the jewelry making section of a craft store. These are very easy to make and are quite lovely when you add bead spacers and simple end caps that can be clamped with a pair of pliers or a jewelry making tool.

If you know how to sew or do cross-stitch, you can glue an original pattern or spell someone's name and stitch it onto a starched piece of fabric. Embroidery thread can be weaved into an extra long 'friendship bracelet', tying knots at both ends and leaving tassels on the ends for a unique gift.

You can also make very long bookmarks for a student who may have to mark more than one page of a text by simply using a longer length of string or ribbon that can be draped over multiple pages. Making a few color coded bookmarks can help your student stay organized.

A handmade bookmark is a nice embellishment to giving a book as a gift and can be made to fit any occasion. Know someone who is expecting? Make a bookmark with some rattles and baby bottle beads and tuck it into a how-to' or what to expect' kind of book. Do your children have a favorite Halloween tale? Find pumpkin or candy corn printed papers and some orange or black construction paper to make a spooky one.

There is no limit to the varieties of bookmarks that can be made. Check your junk drawers or pick up some pretty beads the next time you visit the craft store and let your imagination run wild. Don't forget to make one for yourself so when you are done with your bookmark crafting, you can sit down in a cozy chair with a cup of tea and read a nice book to test out your creation! Have fun!

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