•9:57 PM
Today was the Read-a-Thon at my kids' school. When I was a kid, I LOVED the Read-a-Thon. I would make such an earnest effort to read as many books as I could in the prescribed time. Do you hear that? That is Jonesy chuckling ... he was probably too busy playing road hockey to read books for his school's Read-a-Thon. But I don't care ... I loved to read and it was something I could excel in. 'Cause I was NOT very athletic.
I wanted to mark the occasion by doing something nice for the teachers and my kids' classes. Afterall, I have my own little personal Read-a-Thon happening. So I decided to make everyone bookmarks. Every serious reader needs a bookmark, and it is never too early to become a serious reader. Anyhow, bookmarks can be used for lots of projects ... not just while reading novels.
I use bookmarks to mark favourite recipes in my cookbooks. And, I use bookmarks to save the page while working on my latest knitting or crochet project.
I have developed a neat way to make bookmarks that last. It's really fun for kids and crafty adults. Make one for yourself, or for your grandchildren or for a friend. And, it is super easy for kids to do, too.
The first thing you need to consider is the paper. Choose a heavy weight cardstock and I have found that paper with a pattern works best. Maybe something floral, or theme-related. I love me&myBiGideas ... they have lots of different specialty cardstock. The heavier the weight, the better quality the bookmark. I chose a school-related theme for my bookmarks.
After you choose your paper, gather the rest of your "gredients," as Addie C. would say. You will need Modge Podge, a paint brush of some kind, a rolling pin, and some newspaper or parchment paper, if you care to protect your table. If you have not used Modge Podge before, it is glue. It is so easy to use and you can do so many things with it, as you will see. I also suggest having some wet wipes close by for easy clean up because your fingers can get a little goopy.
Cut your bookmarks into the size you want. You will need one for the front-side and one for the back. I made mine 2-inches by 6-inches. I happen to have a rotary cutter and a large ruler - this made the cutting part much easier. If you do not know what a rotary cutter is, you should probably just visit your local bookstore and buy yourself a bookmark.
Basically you just want to glue the two pieces of paper together using the Modge Podge. Using your paint brush, run a strip of glue down the centre of the paper. Place one strip of paper over the other, and use the rolling pin to press the two pieces of paper together. Some glue might squish out the sides, but that's okay; just wipe it away with some papertowel. There is no need to be precise at this point. There is something about using a rolling pin to ensure the paper is flat ... it makes a better bookmark. Trust me.
Yes, this gluing part can take some time. But, put on your i-Pod and the time will go much quicker. The first couple are really fun, but if you are making a batch, invest in the time to charge up your i-Pod battery.
Let the bookmark dry thoroughly ... it shouldn't take too long. And, while it is drying, you can think of ways to embellish it. You could use stickers or cut out paper yourself to make the design you want. For this project, I cut out words from some cardstock. Now, don't go all crazy. I think I have mentioned before that it is difficult for me to just sit in front of the television and watch it. So, if I'm watching a movie, I need something to do. Sometimes I cut paper for future craft projects. In this particular case, while watching the Canadians kick some butt during the Olympics, I prepared for the Read-a-Thon.
Now, you must be thinking that it looks like I had too many adornments. Not really, because I made about 50 bookmarks; so, I needed a lot of stuff to make them look cool. Just take your decorations and position them the way you want on the bookmark. Once you are happy, glue them with the Modge Podge.
Get creative ... this is suppose to be fun!!
At the same time, add a layer of Modge Podge over the top. Don't be shy, but at the same time ... be reasonable. Do not let it be goopy or globbed in any particular area ... this is the part that young children might need help with. The Modge Podge will provide a protective coating, and although it is very forgiving, you do not want it look lumpy. Then let it dry.
This is the boring part ... waiting for them to dry. But once they are dry, you get to flip them over and paint a layer of Modge Podge onto the other side. But, then you have to wait for it dry again. Now, the advantage to doing a very large number of bookmarks, like I did, is that by the time you have given them all a coat, the first ones are ready to flipped and coated AGAIN. In fact, you can repeat this process many times. Give them as many coats as you have time to give - the more coats, the more sturdy. For the project I just completed, each side got two coats of Modge Podge, and I think they are pretty good.
The final thing you want to do is trim the ends ... to make them look super professional, of course. Use pinking shears or some other fancy scissors.
And then, enjoy your new bookmarks.
Give them as a gift, with an awesome new book - the recipient will appreciate the gesture of something homemade, along with something you recommend - like a favourite novel or cookbook. In fact, any teacher would love a new bookmark with at gift certificate from Chapters/Indigo as a parting gift in June.
I would. Wouldn't you?
I use bookmarks to mark favourite recipes in my cookbooks. And, I use bookmarks to save the page while working on my latest knitting or crochet project.
I have developed a neat way to make bookmarks that last. It's really fun for kids and crafty adults. Make one for yourself, or for your grandchildren or for a friend. And, it is super easy for kids to do, too.
The first thing you need to consider is the paper. Choose a heavy weight cardstock and I have found that paper with a pattern works best. Maybe something floral, or theme-related. I love me&myBiGideas ... they have lots of different specialty cardstock. The heavier the weight, the better quality the bookmark. I chose a school-related theme for my bookmarks.
After you choose your paper, gather the rest of your "gredients," as Addie C. would say. You will need Modge Podge, a paint brush of some kind, a rolling pin, and some newspaper or parchment paper, if you care to protect your table. If you have not used Modge Podge before, it is glue. It is so easy to use and you can do so many things with it, as you will see. I also suggest having some wet wipes close by for easy clean up because your fingers can get a little goopy.
Cut your bookmarks into the size you want. You will need one for the front-side and one for the back. I made mine 2-inches by 6-inches. I happen to have a rotary cutter and a large ruler - this made the cutting part much easier. If you do not know what a rotary cutter is, you should probably just visit your local bookstore and buy yourself a bookmark.
Basically you just want to glue the two pieces of paper together using the Modge Podge. Using your paint brush, run a strip of glue down the centre of the paper. Place one strip of paper over the other, and use the rolling pin to press the two pieces of paper together. Some glue might squish out the sides, but that's okay; just wipe it away with some papertowel. There is no need to be precise at this point. There is something about using a rolling pin to ensure the paper is flat ... it makes a better bookmark. Trust me.
Yes, this gluing part can take some time. But, put on your i-Pod and the time will go much quicker. The first couple are really fun, but if you are making a batch, invest in the time to charge up your i-Pod battery.
Let the bookmark dry thoroughly ... it shouldn't take too long. And, while it is drying, you can think of ways to embellish it. You could use stickers or cut out paper yourself to make the design you want. For this project, I cut out words from some cardstock. Now, don't go all crazy. I think I have mentioned before that it is difficult for me to just sit in front of the television and watch it. So, if I'm watching a movie, I need something to do. Sometimes I cut paper for future craft projects. In this particular case, while watching the Canadians kick some butt during the Olympics, I prepared for the Read-a-Thon.
Now, you must be thinking that it looks like I had too many adornments. Not really, because I made about 50 bookmarks; so, I needed a lot of stuff to make them look cool. Just take your decorations and position them the way you want on the bookmark. Once you are happy, glue them with the Modge Podge.
Get creative ... this is suppose to be fun!!
At the same time, add a layer of Modge Podge over the top. Don't be shy, but at the same time ... be reasonable. Do not let it be goopy or globbed in any particular area ... this is the part that young children might need help with. The Modge Podge will provide a protective coating, and although it is very forgiving, you do not want it look lumpy. Then let it dry.
This is the boring part ... waiting for them to dry. But once they are dry, you get to flip them over and paint a layer of Modge Podge onto the other side. But, then you have to wait for it dry again. Now, the advantage to doing a very large number of bookmarks, like I did, is that by the time you have given them all a coat, the first ones are ready to flipped and coated AGAIN. In fact, you can repeat this process many times. Give them as many coats as you have time to give - the more coats, the more sturdy. For the project I just completed, each side got two coats of Modge Podge, and I think they are pretty good.
The final thing you want to do is trim the ends ... to make them look super professional, of course. Use pinking shears or some other fancy scissors.
And then, enjoy your new bookmarks.
Give them as a gift, with an awesome new book - the recipient will appreciate the gesture of something homemade, along with something you recommend - like a favourite novel or cookbook. In fact, any teacher would love a new bookmark with at gift certificate from Chapters/Indigo as a parting gift in June.
I would. Wouldn't you?
1 comments:
Wonderful idea! Where do you find the time????