Make a woven bookmark

This impressive woven bookmark with FREE printable template is not only a great craft activity for kids but also a nice homemade gift idea for Mother's Day or Father's Day. 

What you need:

• 1 x FREE woven bookmark template
• 2 x colours contrasting paper (A4 sheets)
• glue
• scissors

Number of players:
1+

Activity:

You can either:

• Print out the template and colour it in with two contrasting colours before you weave it and glue it together
• Print the template onto two contrasting colours of paper – then you will have the makings of two bookmarks

Once you have decided on your colouring method, cut out all the pieces.

Start with the front section.

Fold it at the dotted centre line and then make cuts along the vertical lines, stopping at the 5mm border line. 

Now get the 'weaving' section.

Cut it into strips, along the lines, so that you have a whole lot of 5mm strips to weave into the front section of the bookmark.

Now take the front part and weave your strips into the vertical cut lines. You can do any pattern you like, but the best is the classic, over, under, over, under pattern (in the main picture above).

To get the chequered basket weave pattern, make sure you alternate starting with over and then on the next strip, start under. (See video for clarification of this method.)

Once you have finished weaving, take the border sections of the front and bring them forward, so that they sit neatly over the horizontal cross pieces on the edges and form a border. (See video.) Stick the border down with glue.

Now get the back piece and stick the front to the back section.

Use a hole punch to punch the hole in the top of the bookmark.

Optional extra:

Sash embellishment.

To make a sash, wind a 50 – 75cm piece of wool around the palm of your hand. Take it off your hand and push one end through the hole on the top of the bookmark.  Loop that end through the opening in the other side (see video). Pull it tight. Now snip off the looped end so that the ends are open like a sash.

• Thanks to our sister company Kidspot Australia for creating the instructional video and the printable template.