Scrappy Bookmark

I usually just use any piece of paper I find laying around as a bookmark but I was trying to clean out some of my small fabric scraps and thought I could piece them together to make a fabric bookmark instead of throwing them out. You can get as basic or fancy as you want with your fabric layout and stitches and you’ll end up with a bookmark that is way cuter than a random scrap of paper.

Supplies

• A variety of woven fabric scraps
• Fusible fleece interfacing (or any type of interfacing will work)
• Ribbon/twine/etc for the tassel
• Sewing machine and basic sewing supplies
• Cardboard cut to 7.5″x3″ for template
• Optional:
  • Rotary cutter and mat
  • Pinking shears

Prep Your Scraps

• Cut a scrap piece of cardboard to 7.5″x3″
  • You can adjust this size to whatever you prefer, it just happened to be the length of the box I pulled out of my recycle.
• Cut your fusible interfacing to the size of your template.
• Gather all of your scraps and arrange them until you are happy with the layout.
  • You can do any type of pattern you’d like. I did one with random shapes and pieces because my scraps were much smaller, and one with stripes of fabric.

Time to Sew

• Use your scissors or rotary cutter and mat to get straight edges on your pieces that will be sewn together, and cut the starting piece to the approximate width of your template
• Line up the straight edges of your first two pieces placing them right sides together.
• Sew along the edge with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

• Press your seam allowance open.
• Use your template to cut the lower piece to the correct width.

• Continue the process of lining up the straight edges, sewing, and pressing the seam allowance open until you have a rectangle the size of your template.

• Repeat the same process for the back side of the bookmark, or you can just use a solid piece of fabric cut to the same size if you prefer.
• Follow the instructions for your type of fusible interfacing to adhere it to the backside of your bookmark.

• Cut a piece of ribbon approximately 5″ long for the tassel.
• Use either pinking shears to cut the top edge, or melt the end to prevent it from fraying.
• Pin the bottom inch of the ribbon to the backside of the bookmark with interfacing.
• Take the other side of the bookmark, stack it wrong sides together, and pin to keep them secure while you sew.

• Sew around the perimeter of the bookmark with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
• You can choose to add any other type of decorative stitching or “quilting” pattern to take it up a notch.
• Optional: Cut around the edges with pinking shears to keep the fabric from fraying.

I am not a quilter, so I kept it simple. Above, I just did two rows of stitching around the edge. Below, I stitched around the edge and then just made a crisscross pattern. You can also see on the one below that I did a more random pattern with my scrap pieces.

Now I just need to find the book I was reading so I can use my bookmark!

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