Paper Clip Bookmarks

A bookmark made of paper and words: how appropriate is that? As an added bonus, it clips to your page, so you aren’t losing your spot if the pages of your book fall open! The paper shown was made with the mottled surface technique, using old crossword puzzle pages and tissue paper.

Materials
- 1 1/4" x 5" paper strip (per bookmark)
- Scoring tool (bone folder)
- Needle and thread
- 1/8"-wide double-sided tape
- Large-sized paper clip
- Several handmade paper scrap
- Paper punches (we used a small “burst,” medium flower, and simple circle)
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks or white glue
- Rubber alphabet stamps and ink pad(s)

Source: ,Trash-to-Treasure Papermaking: Make Your Own Recycled Pape...

Step 1

Use the scoring tool to mark lines on a strip of paper, across its long side (or width), approximately 1/8" apart. Note: It’s important to score handmade paper before folding, because otherwise it may crack or fold poorly.

Step 2

Make accordion folds along the scored lines.

Step 3

Thread a needle, make a knot and pierce the middle of folded strip. Pull the thread through, tie a knot and cut the thread.

Step 4

Open up both ends of the folded stack like a fan. Make a circle by using double-sided tape to attach the folded edges.

Step 5

Position one end of a paper clip on the back of the pleated circle. Secure it with double-sided tape, covered with a flat paper circle that is a bit smaller than the pleated circle.

Step 6

Use paper punches and scrap paper to create decorative shapes or cut them freehand with scissors.

Step 7

Decorate the front by gluing on punched-out shapes and/or stamping with a word or image.

Step 8

Zoom Image

This paper clip bookmark how-to is excerpted with permission from "Trash-to-Treasure Papermaking" by Arnold E. Grummer and published by Storey Publishing.