I am an avid reader and a lover of books. Especially REAL books! There is something about holding it in your hands, turning the pages, the smell, EVERYTHING about hard copy books! I usually have 2 or 3 books on the go… and I am constantly loosing my bookmarks! So I decided to whip up a couple to keep on the bedside table for when I need them! These DIY hand embroidered bookmarks are the result and I LOVE them!
I was totally that kid that couldn’t really be sent to her room as a punishment. I hid books under my bed, in the closet and behind the bookshelf… I was actually GLAD to be sent to my room. It meant that once again I got to disappear into another world through the words on the page. Its a magical thing!
I was notorious for losing my bookmarks back then too. I was constantly sticking random scraps of paper and wayward pieces of yarn between the pages and hoping that one of my siblings wouldn’t pull it out accidentally (and ever so often, purposefully. They really knew how to push my buttons!). I would have loved one of these DIY hand embroidered bookmarks back then!
Want to make your own DIY Hand Embroidered Bookmarks? I’ve got the instructions and the template for the embroidery to share with you!
Supplies you’ll need:
8+ inch square front and back fabrics and cotton batting.
7 inch embroidery hoop
fabric pen or pencil
embroidery needle
embroidery thread
Sewing machine, thread and iron
So the first step is to stitch your saying 🙂 Use the fabric of your choice and a layer of cotton batting in an embroidery hoop. I used a light box to trace the pattern onto my fabric with a fabric friendly pencil, before adding the batting and the embroidery hoop. CLICK HERE to download the pattern with 3 different saying options.
*Note – Because the stitching on these bookmarks is small and detailed, its better to use 3 strands of embroidery or less to get the details. I made the mistake of using the full 6 strands with the gold thread, and the letters feel “blurry”.
Step #2 – Give your stitching and fabric a good pressing to iron out the wrinkles.
Step #3 – Add a center mark to the batting, for the placement of the ribbon. (optional) I folded the fabric down, used a ruler to find the center and used a water soluble fabric marker to add a line.
Step #4 – Cut a 6 inch length of ribbon. Fold it in half and sew, just above the fold, on ONLY the batting to secure it.
Step #5 – Add your backing fabric RIGHT side OUT, on the opposite side of your stitching. Sew around the bookmark outline. I went around twice, just for extra measure.
Step #6 – Use pinking shears to carefully trim away the access fabric. I cut the 3 sides without the ribbon first. Then I cut the top fabric, folding back the ribbon, batting and backing fabric. Then I folded the ribbon forward and trimed the back 2 layers (batting and backing fabric)
Step #7 – Press again and remove any leftover template marks.
The its time to get to reading! I’ve got a stack of books next to my bed, on the night stand, just waiting to be read… which is the perfect opportunity to put these DIY Hand Embroidered Bookmarks to good use!
Are you a reader or know one that would love these DIY Hand Embroidered Bookmarks? They’d make a great gift too!
Need some other Book Lover DIY’s? You’ll love these!
Lauren Spann says
June 17, 2016 at 11:50 ammy mom does this all the time! I love them 🙂
elle
Southern Elle Style
Ashley LaMar says
June 21, 2016 at 10:10 amVery cool! Do you sell these?
Jennifer says
June 21, 2016 at 12:38 pmI don’t have any listed in my shop yet, but I was thinking about adding some 🙂 Just have to get a couple made 🙂
Chloe Thomas (@__chloot) says
June 21, 2016 at 11:06 amThese are gorgeous!!!
Athena Corinne says
June 23, 2016 at 11:11 pmThese are SO cute!
Leslie says
June 26, 2016 at 6:03 pmI love reading too and currently i’m using a post it note as a book mark. I’m saving this. I love this idea.
creativejewishmom/sara says
June 27, 2016 at 7:09 amReally fun and great inspiration….now i know what to make my 12 year old book worm son, of course personalized for him. Thanks for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!
Camille says
June 29, 2016 at 8:19 pmThis would make a perfect gift for book lovers. And I can sew motivational quotes on it too.
like Sara...but with a d says
July 1, 2016 at 7:25 pmThese are really cute! I don’t know if I am talented enough to make them though 🙁
Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom says
July 2, 2016 at 10:24 amI love this! These are so very cute! I should add this to my project list!
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
createwithjoy says
July 3, 2016 at 2:48 amYour bookmarks are beautiful!
Thanks for sharing them at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy.
You are one of our featured guests this week!
Helen Gullett says
July 3, 2016 at 8:38 amThis is so lovely and what a handmade by love!
Judy says
July 4, 2016 at 7:29 pmYour bookmarks are really beautiful. I will be featuring this tomorrow night at my Sizzle into Summer party that opens each Tuesday evening at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I’ve Been Featured button. Thanks! http://diybydesign.blogspot.com
Adelien Tan says
July 5, 2016 at 9:21 amWhat a beautiful DIY bookmarks! Well, I love reading. That is one other reason for me to make such a fabulous bookmark. They will be wonderful gifts as well. Thank you for sharing at Family Fun Friday.
FrugalHausfrau says
July 5, 2016 at 2:51 pmCute and fun! Just one more chapter fits me to a tee! Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
michellejames42 says
July 5, 2016 at 2:59 pmI am an avid reader as well & am always looking for unique bookmarks! These are lovely! #HomeMattersParty
Dianne says
July 6, 2016 at 11:53 pmI love these! These would make great gifts and like you I would pick any scrap of yarn or paper when I was a kid. Thanks for sharing these.
xo Dianne
[email protected] says
April 8, 2017 at 9:16 amI am and avid reader and would cherish a hand embroidered bookmark. Pinning! Thank you for sharing your bookmarks at the Snickerdoodle Create~Bake~Make link party!
[email protected] says
April 8, 2017 at 10:02 amI am featuring your bookmarks at Snickerdoodle today.
Mrs Shoes says
April 9, 2017 at 11:51 amHahah, that kid wanting to be sent to my room (where I could read) was totally me too! I’ve made a lot of cross stitched bookmarks over the years.
I came to visit from Chicken Chick’s bloghop; I hope you’ll have time one day to visit the 4Shoes & let me know that you’ve been by.
Emily says
April 9, 2017 at 7:35 pmThese are beautiful, and they’d make such a great gift, too! Thanks for linking up with our Merry Monday party this week!
Jamie says
April 10, 2017 at 11:56 amThose are beautiful!! What a great idea to use up scrap material and extra pieces of floss, etc. I love it! Pinning to try soon! 🙂
Aimee Aimee says
October 18, 2017 at 5:52 amI was looking online for a similar idea and really appreciate it
Aimee Aimee says
October 20, 2017 at 12:07 amThank you for a great explanation. I was looking online for a similar idea and really appreciate it
ONLINE EMBROIDERY DIGITIZING
Lynda Hardy says
May 8, 2018 at 1:37 pmI love these! Thanks for sharing with Party in Your PJs!
wendyDIY says
June 14, 2018 at 10:36 pmThis DIY hand embroidered bookmarks are pretty nice!Thank you for sharing this tutorial!
Kelsey DIY says
July 20, 2018 at 1:24 amAwesome diy project! Creative idea.
Jennifer David says
November 23, 2018 at 2:04 amThat turns out to be so cute. Which embroidery needlesembroidery needles you used and what’s the size of them?
Leslie - Find/Fix/Make/Mend blog says
April 15, 2019 at 1:23 pmCute!