Super No-Sew Bookmarks 6 March 2014  |  Nicola

Here at StickyTiger, we love books almost as much as we love crafting; from big, heavy tomes on art and design to novels that drag you into their pages, and keep you there until it’s way past bedtime, we just can’t get enough of those lovely books. Which is why we thought we’d come up with a nifty little tutorial in honour of World Book Day – the easy peasy no-sew geometric bookmarks.

You will need:

Felt in various colours – we always think the brighter, the better!

Fuse-a-web or Bondaweb

Various beads

Embroidery thread

Card

Ruler

Pencil

Scissors

1. Start by deciding on the shape of your bookmark – you can keep it as simple as a straightforward rectangle, or as quirky as a scalloped or shaped edge. Draw it onto your cardboard and cut out – this will be your main template.

2. Choose your main colour, then place your template onto the felt, draw round it and cut it out. Do this twice, so you have two pieces exactly the same.

3. Decide what sort of pattern you want to create on the top, and with what colours – we went with simple geometrics, but you could go for something as complicated as an Aztec pattern, or even a word or phrase. The beauty of working with felt is that it doesn’t need any hemming whatsoever, so you can really go for it when cutting out shapes.

4. Once you’ve cut out your pattern pieces, arrange them face down and then iron a sheet of Bondaweb onto the back. Lift up, then cut around the edges of each shape. Peel the backing paper off, then iron each piece in place onto one of the main bookmark pieces.

5. Take the remaining piece of the bookmark, and iron some Bondaweb onto the back. Remove the backing paper, then press onto the top half of your bookmark and iron together. You’ll need to press quite firmly, as felt takes a little longer to bond that other fabrics.

6. Trim around the edges, then using a sharp needle, thread some embroidery cotton through the top. Tie in a knot, add your beads and then fasten off. You’re now the proud owner of one funky bookmark!

Happy World Book Day!