D.I.Y. Bookmark Wedding Favors
My sister Lisbeth and husband Ransom are some of the bookiest bookworms I know. Between the two of them, they probably own more books than the N.Y.C. Public Library. (And I’m only slightly exaggerating.)
So, a custom, handmade bookmark made the poifect favor to give to the guests at their wedding this June.
And guess who had the distinct honor of designing and assembling said favors?
Yeppers. Yours truly. The C.O.B.: Chief of Bridesmaids and all-things-DIY. (My official title.)
Credit Where Credit is Due
In our research, we found mega-inspiration in two different bookmark designs on etsy, and I must give them a shout-out:
We loved the punny text from the bookmark by Just Chugging Along: “Thank you for celebrating our next chapter.” And we also loved the rustic vintage style of the book page bookmark by Onamesleft. So, we took a few features from each of these as well as incorporated some of our own! A little o’ this, a little o’ that. As you can see:
Investment
Now, of all the D.I.Y. projects I tackled for Lisbeth and Ransom’s wedding, this one was the most involved. But hand-making these puppies helped save a lot of money in the long run ($0.50 per bookmark ain’t too shabby). Not to mention, they have such a lovely handmade touch. So, it was well worth the work for us.
I’ve written out a detailed step-by-step tutorial so I can share tips and tricks I learned along the way in hopes of saving you time and effort with your own bookmark favor project. No need to reinvent the wheel, right?
And I just may even have some freebie cut files for those of you with a *Silhouette machine. {Eyebrow raise, eyebrow raise.}
You’ve so got this.
Supplies
- wisteria purple cardstock 100# – $24 for 100 sheets (includes shipping)
- vintage book – $12
- orchid baker’s twine – $15
- silver feather charms – $33.50 for 200 charms
- E-Z Runner permanent tape by Scrapbook Adhesives – $15 for 5 with coupons at Jo-Ann’s
- sharp scissors
- pen or pencil
- washi tape
- printer
- optional: Silhouette machine
Tutorial
Step 1. Gather your supplies.
A few words about the particular supplies I gathered. First, you can completely customize the look of your bookmarks by your cardstock and twine color choice, not to mention the type of book pages you use.
We’re goin’ on a book hunt, we’re goin’ on a book hunt.
I consulted my friend Becky who has worked on book page craft projects many-a-time, and her advice to me was so helpful that I want to pass it along to you:
- Don’t choose your book on subject matter; but rather the quality of the paper and printing. You won’t be able to read complete sentences with the way it’s cut.
- For the vintage style, look for book pages that are discolored (more golden than crisp white).
- Look for books that have undergone letterpress printing. When you run your fingers over the pages, they will be slightly indented…and sometimes the ink bleeds through to the other side.
- Pre-measure the size of book page you’ll need for your design, so you can ensure the book you purchase has a long enough section of text to fit those measurements.
With Becky’s advice on the brain, I spent an hour perusing a local bookstore in search of the perfect vintage book. Now, let me start off by saying I completely understand any reticence one might feel to cutting up books. I feel it, too, and was raised to treat books with great care and respect.
So, when crafting with book pages, I try to hunt down books that are damaged in some way (broken binding, warped, ripped pages), rather than destroy perfectly good books. That’s my approach.
And so, the loose cover from Thaddeus of Warsaw flagged it as a potential supply for this bookmark project. And when I saw the yellowed letterpress pages, I knew it was a winner!
Step 2. Design your bookmark and sleeve.
First of all, you do not need a digital craft-cutting machine to complete this project; all you need are a paper-cutter to cut out rectangle bookmarks, a hole-punch, and scissors.
However, if you do have a Silhouette machine, it will make the job easier, especially if you want a more-intricately cut bookmark.
Free Cut Files
In fact, I’m going to make your job as easy as possible by sharing my cut files to all email subscribers fo’ free. The more bookmark favors out there, the betta’, I say! Just click HERE to download them, and feel free to send your thanks my way with a comment or by pinning this post. {Fine print: these two designs are for personal use only and are not to be used for commercial purposes. Thanks!}
So, here are the two different designs I created:
1. Vintage-style bookmarks. I was able to fit 4 of these on one 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of cardstock.
Lisbeth and Ransom wanted to include an excerpt from the Heidelberg Catechism on the back of the bookmarks; however that could be left blank, replaced with a poem, verse, or favorite text, or it would be a great place for a photo of the couple.
I used the free font Bergamot Ornaments for the flourish.
2. Sleeves with custom thank you message. I used the same whimsical font from our D.I.Y. Clothespin Place Card Holders project, VeryBerry, to write out the sleeve message, “Thank you for celebrating our next chapter. – Ransom & Lisbeth Poythress – June 2015.”
And I was able to fit 23 sleeves to a page.
Step 3. Print and cut your bookmarks and sleeves.
The files above are created with registration marks turned on in Silhouette Studio. That means you have the ability to print-and-cut!
Since this was such a big print job, I had them printed on a laser printer (with registration marks!). And then, I was able to cut each sheet one by one on my Silhouette machine. The machine will read the registration marks so it knows exactly where to cut, and then it works its magic!
TIP #1: If your machine has trouble detecting registration marks, here are a few troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you are working in a well-lit area, preferably by a window. However, if you are working at night, you can shine a flashlight directly down on your machine as it scans! Works every time.
- Make sure not to adjust the registration marks in Silhouette Studio in an attempt to create more space for your design. Leave them at their default position. (This is a bug that needs to be worked out in the software.)
TIP #2: If your cut lines are wonky or you machine starts acting like it is possessed, don’t panic. This happened to my Cameo quite frequently during this project, usually after a batch of 5 – 10 pages.
- Give your machine periodic breaks. And “pets.” {Chuckle.} After every 5 pages or so, do something else for 10 minutes, then return to it.
- You can also power down the machine, unplug and replug, restart Silhouette Studio, power it on again, and start afresh. 9 times out of 10 this would resolve the wonky cutting.
- Turn the registration marks on and off to re-set things, so your machine is sure to re-scan for registration marks. And when it does, follow the bullet points in Tip #1.
Step 4. Pre-cut your book pages.
I wanted a thin margin around the book page, so I created a template out of cardstock, traced around two rectangles side-by-side, and used scissors to cut out the rectangles on a small stack of 2 – 3 pages. My friend Darling helped with this step and even got so savvy as to seek out some of the pretty ornamentation at the starts of new chapters.
Step 5. Adhere your book pages to the bookmarks.
I tested out a number of different adhesives, and E-Z Runner permanent tape was the easiest for a big project like this…with Scotch Double-Sided Tape coming in second place.
Just a few lines of adhesive on all four edges and bam! Slap that baby on the front side of the bookmark, and you’re ready for the next step.
Step 6. Adhere your sleeve to the bookmarks.
Apply E-Z Runner permanent tape to the back of a sleeve, and then aim for the center as you adhere it to the bookmark. It’s really important to ensure the edges are covered, so don’t worry if the tape goes over the edges. It’s so thin, you can easily fold any overlap down before adhering it.
Tip: It helps to have a sample bookmark side by side for a consistent look.
Step 7. Tie on your twine and charms.
Once you’ve determined the length of your twine, identify your “master twine” with a piece of washi tape, then use that to help you cut a stack of twine of the same length.
When tying on our twine, we ran a looped knot through the punched hole, then doubled it back, fed a charm through the two ends, and tied a simple knot at the end.
Like so!
Step 8. Invite over your friends for a bookmark assembly party!
When my friends heard about all the DIY wedding projects I was planning on completing Han-Solo, they set me straight and insisted on lending a helping hand. And boy am I glad I took them up on it!
With five of us gals working non-stop, we assembled 200 bookmarks in four hours. So, yeah…if I had tried to muscle it through on my own, this project would have taken me more than 20 hours to complete.
That’s not nothin’.
The Tip of all the Tips: You know how TV shows will offer up the “Don’t try this at home!” disclaimer? Well, my disclaimer is “Don’t try this alone.”
Seriously. Plan a party for you and your pals to get this project done! Make sure you are well-nourished and have yummy drinks on hand, hit PLAY on your Glen Hansard Pandora Station, and set that assembly line in motion.
Batching your steps in this way will increase productivity, fo’ sho’! Not to mention, the fun factor will soar through the roof.
For the curious, here were our 5 stations:
- Lauren: cutting out bookmarks and sleeves on the Silhouette
- Darling: cutting out book page rectangles
- Nicole: adhering book page rectangles to bookmarks
- Shauna: adhering sleeves to bookmarks
- Chrissy: cutting twine and tying on charms
And boom-chicka-boom, here are our completed bookmarks, front and back:
As the saying goes,
“Many hands make light the work.” Sounds like a grand excuse for a crafting party with my pals! http://wp.me/p3gOqC-3t4 @ThinkingCloset
Some More “After” Shots
Bookmarks in Action
And here are the finished bookmarks in all of their bookish glory in a basket of some rustic-looking burlap. Each wedding guest was encouraged to take one upon departure.
Bookish Centerpieces
And these weren’t the only hint of vintage books at Lisbeth and Ransom’s wedding.
Here are a few photos of the bookish and beautiful centerpieces we pulled together. We borrowed some rustic wood slices from a friend, incorporated stacks of vintage books from my parents’ library, and then filled mason jars flower power and candlelight to complete the look.
It was magical. (To say the least.)
And let’s not forget the burlap table runners!
I found an awesome deal on Amazon for 100 yards of 12″ wide burlap on a roll for only $69.99. That covered all of our reception tables, lobby tables, and then some. It was the roll that never ended.
That burlap and wood slices really brought their “rustic” game, and the mason jars and books really brought their “vintage” game.
Together, it was a most glorious marriage of rustic and vintage.
Kinda like another glorious marriage on June 20, 2015 ‘tween two of the bookiest bookworms I know…
…and they lived happily ever after.
More Book Page Projects, Please!
If you’d like to learn how to create your own Book Page Banner, this one is for you:
Or how ’bout these cuties for your fall mantel? Burlap and book pages never looked so festive!
Rustic Vintage Wedding Series
Here are the full collection of rustic vintage wedding tutorials for you to peruse. I hope they spark some creative inspiration for you, dear reader.
- Bride & Groom Baseball Shirts & Free Cut File
- DIY Burlap Chair Signs for the Bride & Groom
- DIY Clothespin Place Card Holders
- DIY Shabby Chic Fabric Photo Booth Backdrop
- DIY Bookmark Wedding Favors (you’re here!)
- DIY Wedding Guest Book with Creative Prompts
And if you’re eager to talk a walk down memory lane and explore the D.I.Y. elements from our Wedding by the Sea six years ago, you can do some time-traveling HERE.
Have a fantastic Sunday!
*Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase after clicking through, The Thinking Closet may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping to support this site!
I loved the bookmarks idea. When I saw the wedding photo of your sister, I did a double-take, as she could be a twin to a friend of mine!
Ha ha. That’s too funny! I’ll have to tell Lisbeth she has a doppelganger out there! Glad you enjoyed the idea, Virginia. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, you and your sister look so much alike! That’s adorable 🙂 My sister and I barely look related (except for a few rare times).
Congrats to your sister…she’s lucky to have such a crafty sister!
You created a wedding favor that is sure to be treasured by the guests. I’m thinking of a “create your own bookmark” party project for my girl’s next birthday party. Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh my goodness! Congrats and kudos to you, COB!! And congrats to your sis and new brother, as well. Love the bookmarks, so darling.
I’m still not sure how you and Mark basically decorated our whole wedding and remained not only sane, but lovely and amazingly joyous! These bookmarks are actually one of my favorite pieces of our wedding day. Thank you for all you (and your friends) did! We are truly indebted. <3 <3 <3 P.S. Speaking of books, I'm intrigued by "Thaddeus of Warsaw"…do you know the plot summary?
I. love. these. so. much.
It’s not often that a project tempts me to try and get my craft on, but I just might have to try this one. Also, I love the wedding photos. Beautiful!
I. love. these. so. much.
It’s not often that a project tempts me to try nad get my craft on, but i just might have to try this one. Also, I love the wedding photos. Beautiful!
Ridiculously cute! While I may have dropped out of the blogging world due to my two new additions, I still love reading your newsletter and seeing all of the great DIYs. This one, especially!!! Love it!
Another wonderful wedding tutorial! Seeing the finished project first, it was neat to go behind the scenes to see how these beautiful bookmarks were envisioned and then created.
You are blessed to have such a supportive group of faithful friends* who helped with this project. The assembly-line approach was most efficient.
*As mother of the bride I also had friends who pitched in to help with the bridal shower and then putting ribbons on the bubble wands for the wedding. Friends are amazing!