A bookmark is something you attach or place on the inside of a book before closing it to help you remember where you were up to. Some common everyday objects you can use for bookmarks are receipts, slips of paper, ribbons, or paperclips.
There are other strategies; besides bookmarks, people use to remember page numbers. For example, writing down or memorizing a page number, leaving a book open face-down, or folding down the top corner of a page. Folding corners (also called ‘dog-earing’) is frowned upon by librarians and book owners as it damages pages and looks messy.
How to Make a Bookmark
Bookmarks can take many shapes and forms and can be as creative as you like when creating your bookmark. Depending on the shape and size of the bookmark you’d like to make, you’d approach the process differently.
Creative Homemade Bookmark Suggestions and Ideas
There are countless fun and crafty ways to make a bookmark with your students or child. Here are a few great suggestions to get you started:
- Attach a button to the end of a paperclip. If you can find an oversized button and paperclip, even better. To mark your page, clip the decorated paper clip onto it (perhaps even a few pages to help secure it) and close the book.
- Make an elastic loop and decorate it. Cut a strip of elastic a little bigger than twice the length of your book and sew the ends together to form a circle. Next, decorate it by sewing felt decorations, buttons, or anything else you like. You could even sew on a little felt arrow if you want to remember which line you were up to. To save your page, loop the elastic over all the pages you haven’t read and close the book.
- Use photographs of friends and family. For a twist on the classic bookmark, decorate your beloved page-keeper with images of the people closest to you, so they’re with you for all the adventures you may go on.
