As we are all gearing up towards the school year, everyone is getting all of their school supplies together. Although searching for supplies can be a blast, isn’t making your own supplies even cooler? Today at Roberta’s Art Gallery Craft Corner, no matter your age, we are going to band together and do this craft as a unit: BOOKMARKS! From textbooks to assigned readings to books to read for fun, EVERYONE could use a few bookmarks on hand. We will go over multiple ways for you, your friends, and your family to have some fun with this handy craft! 

Cardboard Bookmarks 

Necessities: 

  • Cardboard (cereal box, soda pack, cracker box, etc.)
  • pens/markers
  • Scissors 

Optional Tools (for design purposes):

  • Paper 
  • Paint
  • Glue/Hot Glue/Tape

Step 1: Cut out a rectangle that is 5-7 inches long, and 2-3 inches wide. 

Step 2: Cut and round off the corners. 

Step 3: Take your paper, pens, or markers and get to decorating!

Step 4: Paint or line the back with paper to hide the original design on the box. 

Cat & Dog Corner Bookmarks 

Necessities: 

  • Black/brown paper (whichever color you would like for your cat or dog)
  • White paper
  • Black marker/crayon/pen
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Glue stick/hot glue/tape

Step 1: Take your base paper, I will be using brown to make my dog, and make a triangle that has a base of 4 inches and has 3 inch legs. 

Step 2: At 1.5 inches on each leg, draw a line down to meet the base in the center (at 2 inches). Cut this sheet out.  

Step 3: Fold the piece of paper on the lines that you drew in Step 2, and set to side. 

Step 4: Draw a “diamond” with equal, 2 inch sides.

I drew dotted lines up and down to make sure all of my points met at the correct spots. 

Step 5 for dog: Draw a ¾ inch line going off of each side point of the diamond. Draw lines from the top of the diamond down to your ¾ inch lines to create dog ears. 

Step 5 for cat: Draw a 1 ¾ inch line going straight up a ½ cm from each side point of the diamond. Draw line connecting the 1 ¾ inch line to the top of the diamond to create cat ears. 

Step 6: Cut out and flip over so that pen marks aren’t showing. 

Step 7 for dog: Redraw the lines for the ears and color them in if you would like. 

Step 7 for cat: Put little white or pink triangles on the ears to make the ears stand out more. 

Step 8: Take your glue, and glue the top of the bent over pieces that you made, and stick your cat/dog on them. 

Step 9: Draw your face! Add eyes, a nose, and whiskers if you’d like! 

“Read Me” Ribbon Bookmarks

Necessities: 

  • Ribbon (preferably ½’’ or smaller) 
  • Paper (construction paper, printer paper, and/or scrapbook paper)
  • Scissors
  • Pens/markers
  • Hot glue

Step 1: Cut a 12” strip of ribbon. Set this off to the side for later. 

Step 2: Cut out a design with a piece of paper. 

*This is going to go on the end of your bookmark so I would recommend keeping this design smaller than 2 inches. I am going to cut out a butterfly with my scrapbook paper as a base layer. 

Step 3: Cut out the same design with a different piece of paper that is a tad bigger than your first piece cut out. 

*If you do not want to layer like in the picture, skip this step and go to Step 4. 

Step 4: If you have a design or words that you would like to draw on your top layer or piece of paper, do so now. 

Step 5: Trace your pieces onto the paper so you have them for Step 7.

Step 6: Take your bottom layer, and hot glue one end to the center of the ribbon onto your cutout design. Then hot glue your top layer onto the ribbon. 

*If you are not laying, glue your cut out onto the ribbon.  

Step 7: Cut out the pieces you traced, and repeat Step 6. 

The best part about all of these bookmarks is that you can mix and match what techniques and styles you use with different materials! You can use ribbon designs on your cardboard bookmarks, add beads to any ribbon, or replace your cardboard with construction paper! The possibilities are endless, and everyone who makes these sweet designs will be showing off their creativity and personality for everyone else to see! 

Roberta’s Art Gallery Kids Corner 

Although anyone of any age can do our craft this week, Roberta’s Art Gallery wanted to include this free and fun print out coloring book! Much like the bookmarks, this craft is for all ages and anyone. Coloring is a great way to express your creativity, while also unwinding and doing something different compared to having to sit on your computer or phone all day! 

Click HERE to access this free coloring book.