Bookmarks are the perfect way to attract your kids to reading. This tiny piece also acts as a medium to express creativity and enhance little one’s creative skills. It has proved to be beneficial as same as a children’s picture book. Using a bookmark will teach them to take a break from their task and return to where they left off.
Instead of buying them bookmarks available at the market, give them supplies and creative freedom to create one of their own. It will develop their imagination and crafting skills, essential in every aspect of their life.
Below are the 21 DIY bookmark ideas for kids to try out. They’re sure to experience a boost in their creative skills.
21 Fun DIY Bookmark Ideas to Boost Kid’s Creative Skills
1. Let the Flowers Bloom
If flowers attract your kids, then you can let them follow this idea. Creating it would be an interesting craft activity. They can display any flower that catches their attention. Cut the card stock paper into strips of approximately 1.5 inches in width with the help of a paper cutter. The colors you choose for the background and flowers are totally up to you.
You can be as creative as you desire. Draw the floral shapes, cut them, and stick them to the background. Laminate them and pass a ribbon through a hole at the top and voila! Your flower-themed bookmark is ready to use.
2. Poppy Popsicle
Ask your kids to store their popsicle sticks every time they have one. Once they have stored a few, encourage them to paint them with their favorite color. Kids should draw illustrations with a black or dark-colored marker afterward. They can also pen down motivational words on it. Draw any fruit on a different paper, such as an apple or strawberry, along with funny expressions. Stick them to the popsicle stick and their artistic bookmark is ready.
3. Ribbon Strips
Take the elastic ribbon and stretch it to accommodate the book pages. You may have to cut the ribbon into 18-inch strips typically. Fold it from one end over ¼ inch and repeat this step. Stitch it across in any technique that works for you with your hand or a sewing machine.
Repeat this process by folding the other end of the ribbon. Add an elastic hairband at one end, while attaching a button on the other. Whenever you stop reading, hook the elastic to the button and your pages won’t move even a bit.
4. Ocean Life
If your kid is a water baby and adores aquatic animals, then encourage them to try out this idea. They will create bright and attractive bookmarks. Write an interesting small quote in the center. Draw aquatic animals all around it. Whether they like to use paints or colored pencils, both options will work equally beautifully.
5. Let Avengers Superheroes Shine
Kids, especially boys will become more excited if you ask them to create bookmarks on a superhero theme. The Avengers series of Marvel comics and movies is almost every child’s favorite. Help them out by printing out a sketch of a Marvel hero. Give them a free hand to use paints of all hues to cover the entire design and elevate attractiveness.
Once it dries, use a black or white marker to outline everything. Apply a layer of paintable sealer to offer the craft a protective coating. Leave it overnight to let it dry and then it is ready to participate in your reading experience. If your kid wants readymade ones, look for an online reliable company that offers personalized bookmark printing. Share your child’s desirable design with them to get the product just as imagined.
6. Scribble Monsters
This DIY idea is best for preschoolers to improve their creative skills. Cut the index card in a portrait layout shape. Hand them colorful pencils and let them scribble a monster according to their imagination. Scribbling horns and smiles will make the drawing catchier. Stick googly eyes of distinctive sizes and hues with glue or mounting tape. Create a hole at the top and thread a 4-inch ribbon piece into it.
7. Sprinkle Washi Tape Magic
This idea is quite eye-appealing once made and its creating process is also easy. Trim the hard paper into a long rectangle of around 2 inches wide and 6 inches tall. Punch a tiny hole in it at the top side. Use captivating washi tape of different hues and patterns to decorate the bookmark. Tie a 4 to 5 inches long ribbon onto the hole. Make sure it contrasts well with the washi tape to create a picturesque artwork.
8. Postage Stamp Revival
If you want to educate your child about post stamps and their uses, go for this creative idea. It is easy peasy and the results are aesthetically appealing. Provide them a bunch of stamps from different countries, along with a card stock and glue. Let them stick stamps one by one to the card and sit for a while until it properly dries. This activity will also increase their awareness about various countries, inspiring them to learn more.
9. Tribute to Your Paw
Does your child have a paw friend? If yes, they will surely feel excited to work on this DIY activity. Undertake it especially when they’re not feeling well to uplift their mood.
Create the shape of a cat on the upper side by cutting the card accordingly. Draw cute cat expressions with a black marker and use a pink one to represent their blushing cheeks. Cut their arms outwards and fold the card.
Every time, they stop reading, they will keep the cat’s body inside while its paws on the outside. It is a creative design that will inspire your kid to open up a book and start reading.
10. Let Your Cute Buttons Be a Showstopper
Do you have a good collection of pretty buttons or at least have one? You can give it to your child, along with a vibrant paper clip. If it is silver in color, they can also paint it with a hue of their choice. Stick the button on the head of a paper clip with solid glue and add a small piece of felt to go on top. It will give the produce a smooth finish.
11. Turn Your Thumbprints into Hearts
A child can give this innovative idea a shot with their parents. The three can dip their thumbs in a red stamp and press it down on a white card piece. One thumb over the other at an opposite angle to create the shape of a heart. Make sure the card size is around 6 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. It is also great for gifting purposes. You can cut it with decorate-edge scissors to add an attractive texture to your DIY.
12. Add Sparkle to Your Reading with Confetti
Is your child too bored out of a simple bookmark? This confetti idea brimming with sparkles will enhance their reading experience. Cut a clear sheet protectors of the desirable size. Seal its sides with a fuse tool or sewing machine to give it the shape of a page marker. Keep one side open to pour two to three tablespoons of confetti. Seal it too and add a ribbon to make it ready for use.
13. Brighten Up Your Book with A Rainbow Bookmark
This multi-colored design of a rainbow on the page marker will brighten up your child’s reading experience. It will attract them to read irrespective of how boring the book is. Draw lines to separate different colors and then fill them in vibrant hues with a marker or pencil. Cut out a hard paper sheet in the shape of a cloud and stick it at the top. Write a motivational quote related to a rainbow to inject empowering energy into a child’s veins.
These ideas are also effective for children’s authors. They can use it to create innovative bookmarks that they can offer as a freebie whenever someone buys their book. They can order it from a professional agency that offers affordable, custom hardcover children’s book printing to get good-quality ones.
14. Origami Fox
While looking at the picture, you can get an idea of how cute and artistic these creations can be. Take a square scrapbook cover that is orange in color. Fold it diagonally in half and then unfold. Fold the top corner down to the center crease and fold the bottom edges up to the center crease. Repeat it for the other side to make the fox ears appear. Use a pair of scissors to make their eyes and nose on white and black paper. Paste those googly eyes and nose.
15. Show Your Creativity Through Mandala
Carve out a rectangle shape from a white card stock of around 6 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. Use a pencil to sketch a mandala design on it. Once designed, you can use a black marker to make your design permanent. Use a pink or green colored marker to add a splash of vibrancy to your mandala. And there you have it, your mandala page marker is ready to rock your book!
16. Exhibit Cuteness Through Cow and Bull
This one is for the new readers! Cut a rectangle shape from white card stock. Keep the size up to 6 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. Draw a cow or bull’s face using colored markers or watercolors. Make two hands on its back that can act as a page marker. Carefully cut its hands halfway so that they bend up and open. Slightly fold the arms and use the space to tug at the pages. You can consider this approach to create any animal.
17. Dip Your Bookmark into Halloween Pumpkin Energy
Whenever Halloween season is coming up, you can join in with your kid to create these themed bookmarks. Carve out a small pumpkin on orange cardstock paper and cut it out. Make a tiny hat-like stem on green scrapbook paper and paste it on the pumpkin. Cut out tiny black oval dots to create its eyes. Paste it too with sticky glue. Now, adhere this artistic product to the popsicle stick.
18. Transform Your Paper Clip into an Angry Bird
Do you find your munchkin often playing Angry Bird? If your answer is yes, immerse them in this artistic project. The process begins with some a hard sheet in the color of a character you want to create. Give it your favorite character’s layout. Use orange, white, and black sheets to create their eyes, nose, and mouth. Paste them on the body and then adhere the creation to the paper clip. Trust us, this creation will act as a conversation starter wherever your kid takes it.
19. Create a Masterpiece with A Leaf
Let your kid try out this one if you want to nurture a love for nature within them. It will be best to increase their awareness regarding the environment. Take them out and ask them to gather a bunch of leaves from the ground. Help them carve out a rectangle shape from the white card stock with an average size. Hand over an adhesive solution to them so that they can stick leaves artistically to the piece and their masterpiece is ready.
20. Unwind Watercolour Magic
Watercolors always fascinate children and give them freehand to explore their creative side. Provide them with a variety of diverse watercolors to let their imagination run wild. Teach them a wet-on-wet technique to blend different hues on the page. They’ll surely create a one-of-a-kind creation depending on their artistic preferences and imagination. Paste their creation on a white card sheet with a typical bookmark shape and size.
21. Food-Themed Magnetic Bookmarks
Do you have a little foodie at home? You can inspire them to draw their most-liked food. Otherwise, you can print them out. Whatever the case, leave a bit narrow piece on the upper side and fold it inwards to form a bookmark shape. Attach tiny magnets on the inside of each half in a way that they align with each other when folded. Decorate the design with colors, gel pens, stickers, or other food-related embellishments.
Closing Thoughts
These 21 DIY bookmark ideas provide a fun and creative outlet for kids while enhancing their artistic skills. From floral designs to superhero themes and nature-inspired creations, these projects make reading more enjoyable. They also foster imagination and hands-on learning.
By encouraging children to craft their own bookmarks, parents can help them develop important skills like focus, creativity, and problem-solving. These DIY marketing ideas are a great way to inspire a love for reading while allowing kids to express their personalities through art.