How to Make Bookmarks | Paper Cutting Art

All those who love to read, know that bookmarks come in all shapes and sizes, just like our favourite books. Now, we’ve seen many innovative bookmarks and we’ve used leaves and sometime dog eared our pages. But this simple, make at home technique, will help you design your own book marks. And of course, don’t forget to give away some of that love to your reading buddies!

Materials Required:

Thick paper sheets (white or cream, preferably)
Coloured paper strips
Paper cutter
Scale / ruler
Pencil & eraser

Step 1: Shape Your Bookmark

To begin with, we take our thick paper sheet and cut it in an approximate size of 5 inches width x 6 inches height. Now fold the paper length wise, making your book mark longer and narrower, so that it fits snugly between your pages.

Now, once folded, use one side to draw an abstract design of your choice and liking. Make sure what ever you draw has enough space away from the edges of your book mark. I have drawn a rectangle along the edges of the book mark, inside which i’ve traced a simple flower stem branched out with leaves using a pencil. The design you select should have a thin border that highlights the shapes you’ve drawn.

Step 2: Cutting Your Design

The design you have traced, acts as your base to cut. The thin borders that you have drawn become the silhouettes of your design, while the rest of it has to be cut off. For example, the leaves I’ve drawn are made using two tear drops - one inside the other, with enough space to highlight the border.

Use the paper cutter to cut out the extra space, leaving only your borders intact. So, for my leaf, I will cut the insides of all the smaller tear drops and leave the space between the two tear drops intact, so that it highlights the border or outline of my leaf. Also, cut out all the extra space from your design, so you are left with only the skeleton of your drawing.

Step 3: Using the Colour Strips

Once you have both the sides of your bookmark cut out, you can use various coloured paper strips to fill in the gaps of your design. So, place a coloured paper strip of your choice on a leaf cut out. Mark the shape of the leaf and stick it on the inside of your book mark. So that when you fold your book mark, your hollow leaf with now have the shade colour of your choice. Repeat the same pattern with different colours or the same colour for your other leaves.

Step 4: Completing Your Bookmark

Once you’ve pasted all your coloured strips on your leaves, fold the book mark once again and paste it well, using the borders of your design to hold together both the sides.

The completed book mark looks beautiful from both the sides, allowing you to use any side while you read.

Don’t forget to share some of this love to your reading buddies. Happy reading!