Paper Towel Rose Bookmark
Do you love gifting books at Christmas or Mother’s Day, well then I have two lovely book related options for you.. either make these wonderful Paper Towel Rose Bookmarks (I mean, would you have guessed these are made from the humble kitchen paper towel??) OR.. better still, check out the new “Bookish Crafts” book, which in itself makes a fantastic gift for book lovers. Keep reading to learn more about both!
Please note: this project has been reproduced with permission from the publisher and is not allowed to be republished in any way, without their consent. It is for personal use only.
Also note: affiliate links have been added to these post – should you choose to purchase via these, I will earn a small commission that goes towards the upkeep of this site!
Bookish Crafts by Kanlin Butler
So… what wonderful craft ideas will you find this fanatstic Bookish Crafts book for book lovers. First up, of course there is a great section on bookmarks – I mean that is the number one thing for a book lover, right? We love making bookmarks, as they are such a great gift addition to any book gift you make!
But the book goes well beyond that! In this Bookish Crafts, you will also find lots of cute book related makes.. for example – how to turn the humble matchbox into an adorable little “book” matchbox. Making tote bags to be able to carry you lovely reads everywhere you go.. I love the “Surprise book date night” (not just a boring gift wrap, but a wonderful way to gift a surprise book)… book ends and decorative candles for that cozy reading.. and a wonderful section on creating your own book covers. This is a great project for those amazing second hand finds in the thrift shop.
This craft book will teach you lots clever painting techniques and really help you build your creative confidence!
Why not grab yourself a copy now? It is available from Amazon and all good bookstores! Grab yourself a copy today!
Credit: Reprinted with permission from Bookish Crafts by Kanlin Butler. Page Street Publishing Co. 2026. Photo credit: Kanlin Butler.
Timeless Tissue Rose
Roses and romance: a duo that is the ultimate representation of love and the perfect swoon-worthy muse for your next bookmark. This tutorial will walk you through creating a basic rose using just paper towels, which you can then incorporate into a beautiful bookmark. If you want to get creative, these roses can also be used to make a tissue bouquet or adorn a plain picture frame. You can also assemble a rose garland for some cute bedroom décor.
Supplies needed to make a Paper Rose
- Paper towels
- Ruler
- Pen
- Scissors
- Washable markers, in your favorite color
- Spray bottle of water
- Empty toilet paper roll
- Multipurpose glue
- Watercolor paper
How to make a Paper Towel Rose Bookmark
Cut 12 (2-inch [5-cm]-diameter) circles out of the paper towels. The quickest way to do this is to draw a circle on one paper towel to use as a template. (The circle doesn’t need to be perfect; just approximate the right size.) Layer all the other paper towels underneath, and then cut them all out at the same time.
Draw a rough line around the edge of each circle using your washable marker. Spray the circles with water so that the marker bleeds into the paper towel pieces, but not too much! Otherwise, the towels will start to disintegrate.
Once the circles have completely dried, place one circle over the lip of the toilet roll and fold it over. Add a dab of glue where you will place the next circle—halfway over the last circle—and fold over. Place another circle halfway over the previous circle, securing it with glue. Repeat this process, working around and placing each circle over the previous one and layering them until you have used all your circle cutouts. Then, remove the toilet roll.
Cut a circle out of the watercolor paper that measures the same as the base of your rose and glue it to the bottom of the rose. You may need to trace around the base of the rose; it doesn’t need to perfect, but make sure that, when it is glued to the base, it is mostly hidden.
Cut a 1½ x 11–inch (4 x 28–cm) rectangle out of the watercolor paper. Fold the rectangle in half and glue it together, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of unglued space at the top of the rectangle (where the two ends meet). Fold those two unglued pieces in opposite directions like little wings to create a platform, and glue the base of your rose to the platform.
Once the glue is dry, your tissue rose is complete! If you want to add more personality to your bookmark, draw a stem and leaves to the book insert piece or paint it a color that matches your rose. I like to use colors that complement the book cover I’m planning to use it for.
Credit: Reprinted with permission from Bookish Crafts by Kanlin Butler. Page Street Publishing Co. 2026. Photo credit: Kanlin Butler.
Available from Amazon and all good bookstores! Grab yourself a copy today!
More Page Street Publications to browse and check out:
- How to make lucky stars, featured in my own Paper Projects Book (which also has a number of adorable bookmarks in it!)
- Cutest Paper Bugs with template from Easy Peasy’s New Book
- Fabulous Paper Cake Box (with free template) from Craft Happy
