Homemade Bookmarks to Make with Students
In our house we LOVE To read and we love to share our love of reading! We do this by running our own little free library and by making (and gifting) lots and lots of bookmarks for family and friends. Here is a collection of our most popular homemade bookmarks to make with students! These are ideal for making bookmarks in the classroom, a library or scout group or just at home!
We actually have put our collection of bookmarks together before – there is a dedicated post all about Origami Corner Bookmark designs, that you may already be familiar with. As well as a collection of “all other” creative bookmark designs. Today’s post differs, in that I picked out the most popular bookmarks, as chosen by my readers!
This comprises a mixture or printable bookmarks/ template bookmarks, as well as bookmarks with step by step instructions. This way, you can focus on the homemade bookmark craft that suits you time and material requirements the best!
What can I make bookmarks out of?
Most homemade bookmarks are made from paper or card – as these are simple materials available to most people. However, there are lots of wonderful creative DIY Bookmarks made by knitting, crochet, sewing. Or using ribbons, buttons and beads or paper clips. Craft sticks or recycled popsicle sticks are also great! There are many recycled materials you can use for bookmark making too – the most obvious ones, being old greeting cards – such as birthday cards or Christmas cards. But branded packaging from favourite snacks work really well too and can look fun and colourful.
If you are looking how to make a sturdy bookmark, I would probably go for a fabric or felt bookmark design or have a go at crochet!
There really is no restriction for what you can use to make your bookmark, but as a general rule of thumb, light card or paper are very popular and easily accessible by all!
Our Top Corner Bookmark Designs
Remember that this list is based on reader recommendations. I do have SO many more designs to suit all interests and seasons (specifically the Christmas Corner Bookmarks are great). So you love origami corner bookmarks, as much as we do, do keep browsing our full corner bookmark design collection (over 100+ designs! I am not kidding!).
Each of these posts, will show you how to make a bookmark step by step – beginning with the basic origami bookmark and then learning how to turn it into your desired (and most popular) design! You will need paper in a variety of desired colours, scissors, a little glue and a pen to make these DIY Bookmark Ideas. Basic stationery items!
Monster Corner Bookmarks – these are probably the most basic and also most fun of all the corner bookmarks! Kids adore making these!
Owl Corner Bookmarks – owls also make a great corner bookmark designs. Love how you can play with the colours and give so much expression by just changing the eyes!
A set of 4 Emoji Corner Bookmarks – probably one of my most popular bookmarks to date – certainly with the kids!
A set of 9 Pokemon Corner Bookmarks – I picked the most popular pokemon characters to turn into bookmarks. However, once you have learnt how to make these, kids will have the crafty tool kit to start exploring other favourite characters and figuring out how to turn them into bookmarks themselves. Again.. super popular with students in the classroom.
Fox Corner Bookmarks – I think the simplicity of this one, makes it so attractive to many readers.
Minion Corner Bookmarks – lots of fun to be had with the Minions!
Darth Vader Bookmark – and of course, anything Star Wars themed is also popular!
When you want to learn how to make a bookmark for kids you really can’t go wrong with a corner bookmark design! So many fun options and ideas!
Top Printable Bookmark Ideas
These bookmark ideas come with free printables. Some you simply print, colour and add a homemade tassel or pom pom, others you can use as templates to then cut colored card stock from.
Dog Bookmark DIY – one to make from cardstock
Mermaid Bookmark DIY – with printable templates or make from scratch tutorial
Printable Heart Bookmarks with tassel and pom poms (always use a hole punch to neatly attach your tassel yarn to)
Printable Dragon Bookmarks (Chinese New Year)
Top Bookmarks made with Paper
Kids of all ages will love this next set of bookmark diys!
Harry Potter Bookmarks – this is a paper weaving technique, so normal paper or construction paper best. I would avoid light card!
Origami Butterfly Bookmark – two tone origami paper is best for these. Such a clever little pattern and not difficult either!
Kirigami Heart Bookmark – kirigami is the art of “cutting paper”.. you only have to cut a paper strip to make these cute paper hearts. I have added colorful templates for those who need it!
Dragon Bookmark Corner – combing a simple origami project with basic shapes to make a wonderful dragon corner bookmark!
Bunny & Egg Paper Clip Bookmarks – these always make me smile.. particularly love the “dangly” paper eggs that peep out of the bottom of the book!
Top Bookmarks made with colored cardstock
Using cardstock as a basis for “arty” bookmarks is also very popular. You can do some black glue art projects or some watercolors.
Black Glue Seahorse/ Shark Bookmarks – a great way to make watercolor bookmarks with students
Top DIY Bookmarks made from other materials
How to make a beautiful bookmark for Mother’s Day? Look no further. Rubbing Alcohol and sharpie markers make a great arty project. Check out the step-by-step instructions over with Happy Hooligans! Such a fun way to watch ink disolve and mix.
Pieces of ribbon and buttons are a great combination, as per Sparkle of Sunshine though a sewing mahcine is recommended to secure these ribbon bookmarks. Probably my favourite way to make also button bookmarks!
Have paper clips? Obviously, super popular to combine paper clips and buttons – however, Morena’s Corner has these super fun and easy “funny face bookmarks” for you to try out.
Paint chips make a great bookmarks too – they are lovely sturdy card stock and usually come in fabulously pretty colors. You can simply use a hole punch and add a tassle or pom pom (learn how to make a tassel here) or turn them into doodle art as per Teaching Literacy here.
Any of these cute diy bookmarks today, make the perfect gifts for book lovers. You can gift a book or a book voucher and personalise it with a Homemade Bookmark gift! Gift these on Mother’s Day on birthday days, for Christmas or just because!
Check out all of our Corner Bookmarks Here:
