15 Easy DIY Handmade Bookmarks to Make with Students

Making your own bookmarks is a fun way to keep track of your reading with a little craft time and a personal touch.

Handmade bookmarks make a great gift, giving that personal touch to a wonderful gift of a new book.

I'm sharing a few creative bookmarks with different designs, you'll find your favorite in this compilation of diy bookmark ideas--great for students to make, excellent craft ideas for homeschool families, also perfect for events at the library for the next read, and fun for a classroom activity!

Which one is your favorite of these DIY bookmarks? I love the origami paper Japanese dolls and I love the David Tennant version of Doctor Who peeking up over the top of my book pages...which could be adapted for lots of other fun bookmark ideas too.

Click each title or photograph for the individual step-by-step instructions for each of these handmade bookmarks and you'll be crafting book holders in no time!

Looking for the perfect satiny bookmark tassels to go with your homemade bookmarks?

200 Bookmark Tassels  (affiliate links)

If you aren't into tassels, pom poms would make a cute bookmark topper too!

GENERAL SUPPLIES FOR HANDMADE BOOKMARKS:

affiliate links

• Laminator and Heat Laminator Pouches
• 200 Bookmark Tassels
• Hole Punch
• Cardstock
• Origami Paper

How to Make Pressed Flower Laminated Bookmarks DIY

Preserve gorgeous pressed flowers in lamination for the perfect and easy bookmark!

These flowers and four leaf clovers were found in my yard and perfect for an epic book place holder, and super lucky too.

Just a few simple supplies needed to make gorgeous floral bookmarks!

Kids love finding leaves, flowers and plants to press to turn into beautiful flower art bookmarks.

How to Make Watercolor Bookmarks (Beginners Tutorial)

Learn how to paint watercolor bookmarks easily for the the perfect diy bookmark.

These make a great gift in addition to a pile of favorite novels!

Let me show you how to create these awesome watercolor effects effortlessly!

Japanese Paper Doll Bookmarks

Learn how to make Japanese Paper Dolls with origami paper.

These adorable layered geisha girls are the perfect handmade gift tags, bookmarks or even wall art.

It's not an origami bookmark (paper folding with no glue), but use the vibrant shades and different colors of origami paper to capture the traditional origami vibe...as a paper doll--that makes the perfect bookmark!

 Butterfly Bookmark DIY

Learn how to make a folded butterfly, heart or flower bookmarks using a few simple supplies.

Attention book lovers, make the perfect bookmark for keeping track of your page as well as looking beautiful for Spring!

How to Make Origami Corner Bookmarks (Easy Paper DIY)

Origami paper corner bookmarks are super easy to make and perfect for teaching a large group.

Just a few easy steps and folding to make a little DIY origami corner bookmark to keep track of reading all during the school year.

These easy corner bookmarks are a perfect gift, easy crafts for a school class or youth group, and all you need are some squares of paper.

Make an Engraved Bookmark with xTool!

Learn how easy it is to make an engraved wood bookmark with the xTool M1 laser cutting machine.

This fun engraved bookmark--different projects great for older kids--would make a great handmade gift, decoration piece or used as a gift tag!

The visual appeal of engraved wood has endless possibilities.

This would make a great Father's day gift too--for a man that loves a fabulous reading experience. 

Paperclip Bookmarks Made with FastCast Resin

Make a darling bookmark with a paper clip and some regal resin shapes painted with metallic paints.

This is a perfect craft for a book club, quick gift for a family member or just for fun. 

Create the perfect paperclip bookmark with FastCast resin, metallic paint and a little twine.

Craft Foam Bookmarks made with Cricut Maker Knife Blade

The Cricut Maker 3 is so versatile and has an array of adaptive tools that make every project a cinch!

I am in love with the Cricut Knife Blade and its many uses.  

The knife blade can cut various shapes and materials: leather, basswood, balsa wood, chipboard, matte board, faux leather and craft foam.  

This craft foam bookmark is so quick and perfect for a first try at the Cricut Knife Blade.  

Bookmarks with Laura Kelly Sprinkle Kindness Stamps!

I love rubber stamping and I love papercrafts. Laura Kelly released these cute stamps with heartfelt messages; perfect for gift tags, handmade cards, bookmarks and more! 

The foil paper works with the toner paper using a heat laminator and could not be more fun--but scrapbook paper works too!

This is the perfect way to share a little extra love--the whole bookmark is just beaming!

Just add a hole with a hole punch and some twine for the perfect fringe tassel.

Book Lover Quotes FREE Bookmark Printable

Bookmarks for the Book Worm!  These 6 homemade bookmarks are brush lettered book lover quotes.  

Anyone with a love of books will appreciate the quotes on these bookmark designs.

This is an easy way to make a beautiful bookmark--just a high quality print on card stock and lamination for a long lasting bookmark. 

What's your favorite book--free templates / free printables available on this post.

Ribbon and Button Bookmarks!

Ribbon and Button Bookmarks!

This is such a fun and simple craft, elastic bookmarks fit all sizes of books an make really cute bookmarks.

It is an easy project and perfect for youth to learn how to sew on a button--let them pick their color scheme and they'll be a big hit.

I taught a group of 20 tweens how to put these together--excellent for those fine motor skills.

You will need Ribbon, Buttons, hair elastic and needle/thread--and sewing machine.

Vintage Style Gold Tassel Ribbon Bookmark!

No book place holder is quite as fancy as this pretty bookmark with Parisian vibe ribbon.

With a gold tassel and electroplated shimmery beads--it's a crowd pleaser and a great way to make the perfect gift for Mother's day.

Ribbon bookmarks are great for handmade gifts, leaving on a decorative book, using it for actually book place marking or just for fun!

David Tennant Peeking Time Lord Bookmark

If you are a fan of Doctor Who, you'll know that David Tennant is the most iconic and loveable!

This little clip of him peeking over the office cubical in "Partners in Crime" is perfection--he belongs in a good book!

Free printable bookmark templates to make a bunch of your own--they'll definitely leave a lasting impression--great for geeky gifts, library crafts and Fan Con freebies!

This post is from 2014 and it still gets LOTS of love--in fact over the last 10 years, I have had multiple libraries across the country reach out to me asking permission to use this printable for their library classes.

Of course they can! I don't own the image, it's totally free at the link.

I love thinking about how many of these quirky bookmarks are roaming the earth!

Washi Tape Bookmarks!

Super short tutorial for making a washi tape bookmark!

Washi tape is super inexpensive, easy to tear and great for any skill level or age group.

Washi tape on scrapbook paper and some lamination make these the perfect bookmarks.

This fun post is from 2013, so I was pretty new to blogging and things have changed a lot since then!

Check it out:

Paintchip Bookmarks!

Paint Chips are awesome for bookmarks and just need a little decorating.

This absolutely fun post was done in 2012 when blogging was WAY different...so the pictures are teensy and the text is short.

I used rubber stamps and stamped images on white cardstock and then let my kids color the designs.

We cut the images out and glued them to paint chip cards...and added some twine for a tassel.

Any book lover will love this shirt too!

Just One More Chapter Shirt

Any experienced reader or lover of Harry Potter knows that you need "just one more chapter!"

This cute book lover shirt is easy to make and gets all the introverted book lover attention.

That's it!

Making your own bookmarks is a fun way to keep track of your reading with a little craft time and a personal touch.

Handmade bookmarks make a great gift, giving that personal touch to a wonderful gift of a new book.

A bunch of years ago, my youngest son, barely old enough to draw and write saw his grandma reading a book. When she finished her book, she stuck her reading glasses inside the book to use them as a bookmark.
My young son was absolutely appalled! 

He immediately asked me to get him some paper and colored pencils so he could make her a real bookmark.
It was adorable and sweet.

My child, who did not like "arts and crafts" time during homeschool was asking to solve a problem using his arts and crafts skills.
He drew a pretty little flower and wrote: to grandma, love jared.
It was adorable and memorable.

Bookmarks are always a great craft for kids to make...and an inexpensive way to show someone how much you love them!

I'm sharing a few creative bookmarks with different designs, you'll find your favorite in this compilation of diy bookmark ideas--great for students to make, perfect for events at the library for the next read, and fun for a classroom activity!

Which one is your favorite? Which one will you make first?

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