Introduction: Slider Bookmark

This is a paper bookmark with a moveable slider that can be used to mark exactly where one left off in their book.
Having a paperback comes in handy when you’re reading something that requires a lot of attention, be it a story, a skill, a school textbook, or something else. However, having to look around two pages in order to find out where you had left off can be extremely annoying, since you’re wasting precious seconds that you could be using to read. Hopefully, this bookmark will speed up the process of finding out exactly on which line you left off in a page.

Step 1: Gather the Materials

In order to create your own bookmark, you will need:

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Glue
  • Coloring pencils

Optional:

  • Eraser
  • Scotch

Step 2: Measure the Paper

You will need: paper, pencil, ruler, and an eraser.

It's time to start making the bookmark. Most books are 6 inches wide and 9 inches tall, so we'll be making our bookmark 1.5 inches wide and 6 inches tall. If you want a longer bookmark, it is possible to make it taller without it affecting the rest of the project, but 6 inches should work just fine. If you wish to make it wider, make sure that when you do the slider, its height should be twice the width of the bookmark + 1.5 inches. As for the paper, mine is positioned as shown in the "Gather the Materials" image, and I used the bottom left of the paper to draw the bookmark (using the left edge as a natural straight line).

  • Measure 1.5 inches for the bottom width of the bookmark, mark the measurement on the paper with your pencil.
  • Measure 6 inches for the height of the bookmark, and use your pencil to mark the measurement on the paper.
  • From the 6 inch mark, measure 1.5 inches to the left edge of the paper and make a line connecting the edge to the 6 inch mark and use your pencil to mark the 1.5 measurement.
  • Connect the bottom 1.5 mark to the 6 inch one with a straight line.
  • Draw a line connecting the top 6 inch mark to the edge of the paper.

If you do not want to decorate your bookmark, go to Step 5. Otherwise, flip the paper over, and do the same measurements. Keep in mind that the bookmark will now be on the bottom right instead of the bottom left of the paper.

Step 3: Coloring Template

You will need: Paper, ruler, pencil, and an eraser.

I have no absolutely no artistic abilities, so I decided to go along with a design that anyone could do. If you prefer to draw something different, or nothing at all, great! It's your bookmark, so you get to choose how it looks. You can go ahead and skip over to Step 5. Anyway, here's how you can do a simple design:

  • Position the ruler randomly on the bookmark (I prefer to go from edges to edges, or from lines to lines).
  • Use your pencil to draw along the line.
  • Repeat as many times as you want, just keep in mind that you will be coloring it in later so having more lines means more time spent coloring.

Flip the paper, and do the same thing on the other side. The designs will be different on both sides, but that's okay. However, you can still choose to only have one side of the bookmark colored in. If that is the case, go ahead and start Step 4.

Step 4: Coloring

You will need: Paper, colored pencils.

Here, you can choose to color it any way you like. You can use one color, or two... or fifty three! It's all up to you.

  • Color in the shapes that you drew.
  • Flip the paper.
  • Color in.

Step 5: Cut Along the Lines

You will need: Scissors, paper.

  • Use the scissors to cut the bookmark out.

Step 6: Measure Slider

You will need: Paper, pencil, ruler, and an eraser.

Now we need to create the slider so that we can actually mark where we left off. You can see how my bookmark was cut out in the bottom-right of the paper, so I'm doing the slider on the bottom-right of the paper.

  • Use the ruler to measure 3/4 inches, and mark it with a pencil.
  • The height should be 4.5 inches, use the pencil to mark it.
  • Measure 4.5 inches (on the edge of the paper) from the 3/4 mark just to make sure that you can connect the lines correctly.
  • Connect the pencil marks with your ruler.

Step 7: Cut the Slider

You will need: Scissors.

  • Cut along the slider's lines.

Step 8: "Taco Fold"

You will need: Bookmark and slider.

It's time to prepare to prepare the slider.

  • Position the small paper on the bookmark and "taco fold it" so that the sider is folded in half.
  • Press down on it, make sure it is still folded exactly in half.

Step 9: Shape the Slider

You will need: Slider, scissors.

  • Use the scissors to shape the paper like an arrow. It's preferable that the arrow itself does not touch the bookmark so that pointing to the text is easier.

Step 10: Glue Slider

You will need: Slider, bookmark, glue.

We're almost done!

  • Place the slider on the bookmark.
  • Put some glue on the part of the slider that is sticking out. Be careful where you do that, since you might accidentally glue the slider to the bookmark and that would render the slider useless.

Step 11: Scotch

You will need: Bookmark/slider and scotch tape.

This step is optional, but it helps to prevent the glue from falling.

  • Cut a piece of scotch tape and then cut it in half.
  • Add it to the top and the bottom of the slider.

Step 12: Fold the Ends

You will need: Bookmark.

If you want, you can fold both ends of the bookmark so that the slider does not fall out. This step is not required, since if it were to fall out, you could push it back in anyways.

Step 13: Done!

You're done! You can slide it as you please, and if you want to mark something on the other page, simply rotate it. Personally, I like to use just the side that does not look folded.

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