Handmade corner bookmarks make a nice addition to book gifting. The bookmarks are also a wonderful surprise to receive in a handmade greeting card. Additionally, they are a fun and easy way to use your junk mail envelopes.
I suggest preparing the base in batches so you can personalize each bookmark for the recipient later. Also, you can make seasonal themes.
This envelope is large enough to make two bookmarks from the longer side. I glued the scrap book page both directions and will cut it along the music paper. After I cut the section of the envelope I want to use, I add additional layers of scrap paper to make the background. This is an assortment of scraps from music paper, scrapbook paper and old book pages. I have to add that there was a time when I would not use book pages. It didn’t seem right to tear a book. However, now when I find an old yellowing book in the thrift shops I choose to give those pages a second life. The sample on the right has an especially yellowed page section. This the part where I personalize each bookmark for the recipient. Sometimes it is difficult to narrow down which embellishments to use. If you do not have ready-made die cuts you can use magazine clippings, cancelled postage, rubber stamped images, etc. I also save snippets from previous projects.
Three of the completed bookmarks. The one with the red mushroom gets the shadow effect from the yellowed book page scrap behind it.
Most of these have a vintage look, I also made a more whimsical one that I will share in a future post.
Have fun upcycling your junk mail and paper scraps.
