Craft Corner- Bookmarks!

When I was in the eighth grade, I started to sell bookmarks on Etsy as a way of making a little bit of money. It was never much, but I always enjoyed the creative process, as well as how much fun it could be to experiment with my favorite quotes or phrases.

While I don't sell bookmarks anymore, I still really enjoy making them for myself and my friends. One of those bookmarks is a bookish take on Nat King Cole's song "Autumn Leaves," and I'll be using it to show you how to make really cute bookmarks for yourself!

There are a few steps to this process...

1. Gather your materials

Usually, I'll use some sort of gel pen along with watercolors to make bookmarks, but tonight I decided to use a calligraphy set I got for Christmas this past year. Really, any type of pen/marker combination will work, but I personally really enjoy the look & feel of gel pens and love my watercolors with all of my heart.

Cardstock or mixed medium paper is your best bet in terms of paper. It's more durable, and nothing will bleed through like it might with regular loose-leaf paper. I cut my bookmarks into 1.5-by-5.5-inch strips, which makes them a bit more condensed and can fit in all sizes of book, but find dimensions that work for you!

2. Find a quote

This is arguably the most important part. Find a quote or phrase you love enough to keep your place in your current read! Song lyrics, Goodreads lists of book quotes, or even fun puns/ phrases are a good place to start. The quote I decided on was actually just a song title- "Autumn Leaves" by Nat King Cole, and I decided to add on another part to tie it into my favorite "Autumn Reads"

3. A quick lettering lesson

Cursive is super fun, and so is lettering. I don't have an arsenal of different types of pens, but I do have a quick trick that I use to give a bit more depth to my cursive/ lettering. On each downstroke of my pen, I slightly bolden the line. It doesn't have to be by much, but that simple action can turn your cursive into something new and exciting. It takes practice, but it's definitely rewarding.

4. ADD IN FUN LITTLE DETAILS & COLOR IT IN

5. (OPTIONAL) DO THE OTHER SIDE

I chose to make this a two-sided bookmark, which I don't normally do. It allowed me to not cram a ton of words onto one side, as well as gave the bookmark a neat effect.

The last thing I'll say about bookmarks, especially those done with watercolors, is that you might want to consider purchasing spray-on sealant or laminating them. That will help you a lot by protecting not only your bookmarks but your books as well. It's just an extra precaution with colors that could rub off or bleed onto the page, but not 100% necessary for a simple bookmark.