For the book lover in your life, no gift will be as treasured as a hand crafted leather bookmark. Not only is it a fabulous way to mark the page in your current reading book, but it is a very beautiful piece of artwork.
Beaded leather bookmarks are easy for people of all skill levels to make. It is a great craft for older children and adults alike. You can make them in any color or style that your imagination can come up with.
Materials Needed
1. A strip of soft suede or leather
2. Stout thread, string, or sinew
3. Various beads, charms, or other accents
Constructing the Bookmark
Constructing a beaded leather bookmark is easy enough that a crafter or any skill level should be able to do it with easy. The first step is cutting the suede or leather to the appropriate length and shape. For a standard hardcover book, the leather strip should be approximately ten to twelve inches long. You want to choose leather that is soft, supple, and not very thick.
After you cut the leather the width and length that you think is appropriate, you will have to plan your beaded decorations. Of course, you cannot put beads in the center of the bookmark, as that would mar the pages of the book. At each end of the leather bookmark, however, you should craft a beaded accent.
You can make this beaded accent in many ways. You can use beading thread to sew a decorative fringe out of seed and bugle beads. You can also use thicker thread to attach a semi-precious stone point, donut, or disk. This can be made extra special with the addition or silver or gold accent beads. You can make a Native American style leather bookmark by creating a beaded motif on a bead loom and then stitching it onto the bookmark ends.
Other Options
If you like the idea of a beaded bookmark, but do not want to use a leather strap, you can make yours out of any non-fray fabric or a ribbon. Felt would make a good option for a fun kid’s bookmark.
If you want a pretty feminine bookmark, you can sew lace on to the ends of a wide satin ribbon. You could even stitch a small dowel onto each end so the bookmark looks like a scroll. Your creativity is the limit for this fun beaded bookmark project.
Beaded leather bookmarks are a wonderful craft for any book lover to make. They also make fabulous gifts. With a small amount of creativity, inexpensive materials, and a free afternoon, you can have something lovely enough to cherish forever or give away with pride.
