Hello everyone!!

Today I will take you through the process of making your own handmade copper bookmarks/book darts!

They are very easy to make once you get the hang of it and are wonderful to use in any kind of book, because besides from looking beautiful, they don't fall out!

Supplies

thin copper sheet
metal shears
cardstock
pencil
carbide scribe
flathead screwdriver
pliers
sandpaper
steel wool
sturdy vise

Step 1: Materials

This is when you take a look around in your scrap pile!

I used some ~0.55mm (roughly 0.023in) copper scrap, but any a bit thicker or thinner would probably work fine!

Step 2: Layout

After finding a good piece of copper, it's time to lay out your design!

I would suggest making a template out of cardstock to see where your bends will end up, and when you're happy with the template, then transfer the lines onto a piece of copper. I drew them with a sharp pencil, and then marked them with a carbide scribe.

(the template I made was 1½" x ½" with bends at ¾" and 1¼" from the bottom.)

Step 3: Bend

This is probably the most difficult part of this build, because of how thin the copper is!

After placing your sheet of copper securely in the vise with the shortest bend first, and with the scribe line visible, start to slowly bend down towards the jaws of the vise.

Repeat, and after both 90° bends are achieved, you should be able to finish the bends by hand.

Step 4: Sand & Polish

Now it's time to remove the deep scratches and make these look good!

You can skip this step if you like the patina, but I like a more even tumbled/stonewash finish.

First, I gave the edges of the bookmark a light sanding to remove any burs (I used 600 grit), and then proceeded to give it a more even finish with some steel wool.

Step 5: End Product & Next Steps!

You're finished!!

Overall I'm pretty happy with how these turned out, and have been enjoying using them in music books, cookbooks, and any other book that I need to keep a page held!

I hope to eventually experiment with different finishes (like flamed or etched copper!) and maybe even different materials!

Thanks for reading, and I hope this inspires you to build something cool!