Easy, Adjustable, No-Slip Fabric Bookmarks (Hand-Made Christmas Gift #2)

I’m the biggest fan of the public library.  I think it’s just about the best idea anyone ever had!  When we go, we take a big, black suitcase-on-wheels with us and we fill it up with children’s books, craft books, cookbooks, magazines…

And Clorox wipes, but that’s just me. 

There’s only one thing (besides the germ factor – but you already know that about me) I don’t love about the public library.  I have a really hard time not marking my spot in a library book by dog-earing the page I’m on.  I know I’m not the only one.  The dog-ear has to be the most popular bookmark ever, if the frequently-previously-bended pages of my books are telling me the truth. 

Even though lots of people do it, I try not to.  It feels a little bit…irresponsible…to me.  I usually stick something in there – a receipt, a business card, whatever’s close by when I get done reading.  The problem is, my kids are inevitably as interested in my book as I am – I cannot seem to keep them from picking them up, rifling through them, inevitably dropping them, and losing my place.  I’ve been wanting to make a bookmark that will actually stay in my book – even if it gets dropped or cross-examined by a small child – for some time now.  And I wanted to give a special, hand-made bookmark with each of the books I made for my kids’ Grandmas & Grandpas for Christmas.  So I experimented with an idea I saw here, and I came up with the most adorable adjustable, no-slip fabric bookmarks! 

They’re easy to make, easy to use, and they use up some of those fabric scraps you have lying around.  They’re also a perfect, very thoughtful gift.  Make one to go along with any book – for anyone!  Make one to go inside your missionary’s scriptures; give one with a special journal to your teenage daughter; stick one inside a travel-planning book for your hubby for Valentine’s Day. 

Start with two strips of coordinating fabric, sized 16”x2” and 20”x2”

Cut a piece of double sided fusible web (I really like Steam-A-Seam 2) to 15.5”x1.5”

Following manufacturer’s directions, fuse ONE SIDE ONLY to your short (16”) piece, keeping the fusible inside of your future 1/4” seam allowances. Don’t tear the paper off yet.  I know you’re tempted.  

If you want to add ric-rac, a contrast strip, or other embellishment, now’s the time… simply pin it to the right side of your long strip (remember to account for your 1/4” seam allowance)

Now place your short strip with fusible, right sides together, on top of the embellishment.

And sew your two strips together along that 2” seam, just outside your fusible paper. 

Fold and press your embellishment to whichever side you want it on. 

Place your strips together right sides together on the free ends.  Line the strips up all along their length.  They’ll match up for 16”, then your long piece will wrap around to the short side for two inches so that the entire thing is 18” long. 

Now, sew the two strips together along the 16” strip just outside the fusible paper.  Leave open the folded-over end of the long piece open on both sides.  In other words, sew along the free end and sides just as far as the seam joining short and long strips.  

Don’t get confused by my photos which is the long strip and which is the short – I made to different bookmarks with opposite short & long strips.  This unsewn loop is the long strip. 

Okay.  NOW you can peel that paper off of your short strip. 

Turn it right-side-out through one side of the loop you left unsewn.  This part is just a little tricky because the fusible material can be tacky.    I just try to ease it through by keeping the long strip – the one without the fusible material – touching the inside of the tube.  Just be patient – it’ll be fine!

Now, tuck and press in your 1/4” seam allowance on each side of that end loop.  Just eyeball it.  It doesn’t have to be perfect because it’ll end up being gathered anyway. 

Cut an 8” piece of elastic.  I buy it by the yard in the notions aisle at JoAnn’s.  It’s about the thickness of a strong hair elastic. 

Feed it through the loop you left open.

And either hand sew or machine stitch the ends of the elastic together.

Pull the ends to just inside one edge of the loop end of the bookmark, to hide the stitching.  Don’t center it in there; put it just inside one edge. 

Beginning on the side you hid your elastic stitching under, topstitch along your bookmark from one open end almost to the other  (Yeah, sew right over the top of the elastic to hold it in place, then along the entire side, across the top,  and down the entire other side, stopping just before you sew over the elastic on the other side. 

Gather the fabric along the elastic, then sew over the top of the elastic on the final side. 

Now sew your button(/s) onto the end without the elastic. 

I sewed one button near the end of the bookmark to perfectly fit my 10” tall book or most standard hardcover books, then sewed another one up about 6-7” up from that one (sorry; forgot to measure!) to perfectly fit a standard paperback book.

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