My daughter and I love reading. We love reading on our own, and especially love reading together. One of our favorite authors is Roald Dahl, and we've been working through reading all of his books. We recently finished Matilda, and one of my favorite things about this book is Matilda's love of wonderful books and reading, along with the clever shenanigans!
I'm joining up with some other bloggers this week to share some fun and inexpensive kids crafts all themed around books and reading. I'm very excited to share some fun, and FREE printable bookmarks all based on Roald Dahl books (including Matilda, of course) with all of you! And just for fun, I'm also sharing a super easy tutorial to make mini tassels to attach to your bookmarks if you wish!
Once the bookmarks have been printed and cut out, you'll need some thread. Any kind will do. We used Rainbow Friendship Thread from Craft Project Ideas. The colors are fun, easy to work with, and is super affordable!
Take a hole punch (any size) and punch a hole in the top center of the bookmark. It doesn't have to be perfect. You can enforce the hole with a piece of tape or laminate the bookmarks for extra overall strength.
Use a scrap piece of cardstock (or use an extra bookmark) about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Hold the end of the thread at one edge of the cardstock and wrap it around (not too tight) about 15-20 times. Keep about 3 inches extra and cut. Hold the thread in the center and carefully remove from the cardstock by gently pulling it off.
Fold the extra thread at the bottom of the tassel and start to wrap it around about 1/3 of the way down (picture 1). Wrap it tightly around the tassel and tie a knot and tuck in the end, or glue the end down with some super glue (picture 2). Carefully slide one side of some sharp scissors through the bottom loops of the tassel and cut (picture 3).
Now your tassels are complete! You can trim the bottom of the tassels to even out the ends and/or shorten them. You might notice that the green tassel looks chunkier than the other two. Instead of wrapping the thread 15 times (like the pink and blue), I wrapped the green one about 30 times and trimmed it shorter than the others for a different look.
I'll warn you though, after you finish your first one it's kind of addicting to keep making more!
Decide how long you want your string from the bookmark to the tassel. You can easily eyeball this, or get out a ruler if that makes you more comfortable. Cut a piece of thread double the length, and then fold it in half. Push the fold up through the hole in the bookmark. Then, thread the two loose ends through the loop/fold and pull through. Now the string is attached to your bookmark and you're ready to add the tassel!
If you don't want to add tassels, you could also use multiple threads. Just cut them the length you want, and loop through and leave just like this.
To attach the tassel, you'll need a needle. Thread one open end through the needle (picture 1). Then, carefully pull the needle through the top loops of the tassel. Even though it's hard to see, try your best to get through each loop (picture 2). Once the needle is through the other end, pull the open thread all the way through. Remove the needle, and tie the open ends together in at least 3 tight knots (picture 3). Tug on them a little to make sure your knot doesn't slip! Move the tassel around until the knot is covered in the center of the tassel.
Now the tassels are attached and your bookmarks are ready to use!! You can get creative with your thread colors, or use ribbons instead for a different look. Don't be afraid to get creative!
These bookmarks are a fun (and affordable) kids craft that will hopefully also get them excited for reading. My daughter is loving using her new bookmarks, and wants to make more to give away to her friends as gifts! You could really get creative with gifts and pair a bookmark with a Roald Dahl book, and add in a few Wonka goodies!!
All five of the Matilda bookmark designs have a quote from the book by Roald Dahl, with illustrations by Quentin Blake.
All five of the Roald Dahl bookmark designs have a quote from the books by Roald Dahl, with illustrations by Quentin Blake. The name of each book is on the bookmark.
*Artsy-Fartsy Mama printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.
*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*Please do not remove the credits/watermarks.
*If you share this on the internet, credit must be given to Artsy-Fartsy Mama
and linked back to this post.
* For best results, print bookmarks on cardstock and laminate.
these are super cuteeeeee! Now I feel like a doofus for jumping on the bandwagon for ebooks...
ReplyDeleteThese are too cute! Love to work on these with little cousins for the holidays :)
ReplyDeleteI will be 1. making these, 2. sharing the link on our FB page, and 3. pinning! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteCynthia @craftoflaughter
I will be 1. making these, 2. sharing your link on our FB page, and 3. pinning. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOkay these are so freaking cute! thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove these and an easy project!
ReplyDeleteThese are adorable! Thank you so much for sharing these
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful and fit in great with our study of Matilda! Although, I don't want to be a stick in the mud, but the "you are not alone" quote from Matilda is not actually from the book, it's from the movie. What the book actually says is “The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village." Still, wonderful quote!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. These bookmarks are fantastic.
ReplyDeletelove these bookmarks
ReplyDelete