It is fun to make these bookmarks together as a family or set your child off on the adventure alone. One thing I know for sure, once they’ve made one, they won’t stop making them until everyone they know has a bookmark to call their own. Look out, Aunt Susan! (I originally posted this as a Father’s Day gift idea, so you’ll see that theme a bit in the imagery here.)
How To Make Beautiful Crayon-Resist Bookmarks
You will absolutely need:
Paper – a little thicker is better, but anything works
Watercolors (any kind will do)
Crayons
Scissors
It is great if you have:
Hole Punch
Yarn
Pom-Pom Maker (now I’m suddenly getting all Martha on you…)
Step One: Gather your artists together. Cut wide bookmark shapes out of the paper. Let older kids do the cutting if possible. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I believe nice rounded corners make things feel more special and handmade. You can make your dad or dads several bookmarks or make a bunch and give your favorites. You decide.
Step Two: Have the kids do what they do best, draw a picture for dad with crayons on the bookmark shapes. Keep it simple because you want space for the watercolor to shine through. I think just one or two colors of crayons work best for this particular process.
Step Three: Once the drawings are done, your artists are ready for the next step and this one is MAGIC! Start painting watercolors over the top of the crayon and see what happens. Pick one color of paint that you think will look nice with the colors of the crayons.
Step Four: Add a second watercolor color. I like to use “Cousin Colors” for projects like this. Cousin colors are next to each other on the color wheel (blue and green) as opposed to opposites (red and green). It is just easier to be successful with cousin colors and they bring a peacefulness to your work.
Step Five: Let your bookmarks dry – this doesn’t take too long. Once they are dry you might put them under a heavy book to flatten while you and your artists take a little break. Maybe 10 minutes or so…
Step Six: If you have a hole punch, now is the time to use it. Near the top of the bookmark, punch one hole. Be sure not to punch the hole too close to the top of the bookmark or it might break through later. If you don’t have a hole punch, I used a tack to pop a hole in the top of the bookmark and that works too.
Adding Special Details:
If you have a pom-pom maker, make a pom-pom! When you tie the yarn around the middle of the cut pom-pom, leave a nice long length, maybe 5 inches, to tie your pom-pom onto your bookmark.
If you don’t have one, no worries! You can use your yarn, if you have it, to make a length of finger crochet (this is just pulling one slipknot through another) or make a braid. Or just make a nice long piece of yarn and leave it at that. Simple.
If you don’t have any yarn, then you are already done! How about that?
Thread the length of yarn through the hole that you’ve made at the top of your bookmark and Voila! You have something special, beautiful and thoughtful from the best kids in the whole world! Ta da! You are done!
Now let the reading begin.
Have you heard the latest April Eight Songs and Stories Podcast episode? Check it out
