Bookmark Thong - a Great Wedding Favor Idea

My partner and I have been planning our wedding for a while now, and I'm doing most of the overall wedding design.  I was struggling with the place card holders until I had the idea to combine them with the wedding favors.  This Instructable covers the wedding favor - the bookmark thong - that will eventually go in a burlap bag that will have a tag printed with each person's name and table number. 

To follow our DIY wedding diary go to www.julietandjulieta.com

Step 1: Shopping List: Materials and Tools

These are the materials you will need to make one bookmark thong about 16" long. This size works very well with books of up to 11" long:

- 3 strings of 14" long natural hemp cord or another organic thread
- 2 metal round connectors. Model specs: Cooper tone, about 0.55"
- 2 pearls. Model specs: White color, 0.32" wide
- 1 head pin. Model specs: Cooper tone, about 1.8" long
- 2 metal cord ends for leather. Model specs: Cooper tone, about 0.4" X 0.16" 
- 2 jump ring connectors. Model specs: Cooper tone
- 1 charm. Model specs: key charm, 1.34" long

These are the tools you will need to create your bookmark thong:
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Rounded needle nose pliers (smooth grip)
- Small pliers (textured grip)

Step 2: Braiding

1) Cut thread into three pieces 14" long each.
2) Insert the three pieces of thread into one of the metal cord ends leaving 0.25" sticking out.
3) Crimp the metal cords end using the small pliers (textured grip) into the cord. Crimping the metal cord ends takes two steps. First, take the pliers as if they were coming from the bottom of the picture and squish, then squish it from the the back so it forces the two ends to "hug" the threads. You're done when you hear a clicking sound when the ends just start to overlap.
4) Start braiding the cord until you have about 0.5" left.
5) Close the braid by introducing the 0.5" left of cord into the second metal cord end repeating steps 2 and 3 above.
6) You should have something like the attached picture.

Step 3: The Top

1) Pass the head pin through the two round connectors and pearls.
2) Using the rounded needle nose pliers, bend the open end of the head pin to make a small closed loop. 
3) Open the round jump ring slightly and pass the it through the metal cord end (already attached to the braided thread) and the head pin loop created in step 2. 
4) Close the jump ring connector so it looks like in the picture. 

Step 4: The Bottom

1) Connect the charm to the other end of the braid by passing a round jump ring connector through the metal cord end (already attached) and the charm.
4) Close the jump ring connector.  It should look like in the picture.

Step 5: The End

This is what your final product should look like. Hope you enjoy it!

Comments

[SparkySolar]

I love this one

[Tinker L]

I got the materials to make a similar item that I saw at a craft market, but it bombed. I can use some of the parts (beads instead of pearls) for a version of your much better idea. Thanks for sharing! One question - do you trim the braid ends or just let them fray?
Thanks

[JulietaandJulieta]

You trim them to about 1/4" then just let them fray.

[happyjo]

This is rather beautiful!

[JulietaandJulieta]

Thank you. It is nice and very easy to make :)

[dustynrobots]

what a great idea! i can't wait to make one of my own and stop folding over book pages to mark them.