12 easy DIY tag ideas for every style

For serious bookworms, any day is a perfect day to read – but there’s something about the fall and winter months that makes curling up with a good book especially appealing. And while just about any scrap of paper will help you keep your space between reading sessions (receipts, torn paper bags, sticky notes…), your beloved books deserve to have something between their pages that’s as special as what’s written on them. .

These 12 DIY bookmark ideas are the real deal. Each of them brings a different style to the table, whether it’s minimalistic and sophisticated or colorful and whimsical. They also offer a range of time commitments and skill levels, and some only take a few minutes to put together. Pick one (or a few!) to carry with you year-round, or make a few different ones to match whatever genre you’re into. Even better? Make a bunch and give them along with a favorite book or gift card to purchase the recipient’s choice. It’s a gift that suits almost any occasion and almost any type of person. Read on for DIY bookmark inspo.

These tags are simple in shape, but the rich leather material makes them so luxurious. The other standout feature? That cool rivet, which is easier to make than it looks. Find directions at The Merrythought.

For a cheeky vintage look (and an easy way to keep track of which friends you’ve borrowed books from), try these check-out card bookmarks from A Beautiful Mess. The printable files are free; from there, you’ll only need bookmark covers and tassels.

Fabric scraps are the key to creating this beautiful shibori-style tag from Alice & Lois. For this particular bookmark, they reached for scraps of hand-dyed shibori fabric, but you can take inspiration from this project and create a bookmark using any scraps of patterned fabric you like.

A great book can take you somewhere completely different – anywhere from medieval castles to the surface of Mars – so a label decorated with a dreamy landscape seems like a perfect fit. Smiling Colors gives a complete walkthrough (complete with video tutorial) on how to create this beautiful snow scene. Be sure to use mixed media paper, which will hold up to both paint and ink. Once you’ve finished this mountain piece, you’ll be tempted to create it for any setting you can imagine.

DIY doesn’t have to be complicated. This printable fruit marker from Teal Notes is great and super easy to put together. The only supplies you’ll need: heavy cardboard, scissors, a hole punch and embroidery floss to make a cute little tassel.

These DIY leather magnetic tags created by Stephanie of Make and Tell are equal parts functional and chic. They don’t require any special crafting tools either — you can cut out both pieces of leather and magnetic strips with sturdy scissors. The design you use is up to you. You can keep the pattern to cover the entire tag, if maximalism is more your style, or keep it simple with the leather as the star.

If you’re a habit-tracking enthusiast, this bookmark is for you. Teal Notes’ design allows you to tuck the list into a DIY pocket bookmark so you can keep your reading list close at hand no matter what book you’re flipping through. Of course, the pocket can also hold any list you want, such as page numbers you want to come back to later or even to-dos you remember and need to scribble down somewhere while you’re deep in the reading zone.

Unexpected materials can make some of the most beautiful DIYs. These pressed flower tags are a great example. Chelsea of ​​​​Lovely Indeed created them with her children, and now every time they read they can remember the time together. To make your own personal keepsake, collect materials during a neighborhood walk or forage for food on vacation.

These confetti tags turn any book into a party! Jessica from The Confetti Bar shares two methods for encasing your favorite mix of confetti, glitter, and glitter to create a custom look.

This gorgeous tag by Jessica from Make & Fable is inspired by the marquetry or decorative wood patterns you’ll sometimes see in jewelry boxes or fine furniture. Check out her tutorial to see how she achieved the look using a thin wood veneer adhesive base.

A label doesn’t have to be complicated to be stunning. Designed by Nomita of Your DIY Family, these brass bookmark clips come together in minutes (literally) and are ideal for holding heavier pages like a textbook or cookbook.

Look carefully — these designs are not printed. They are actually embroidered! Kim of Crafting Veselo quilted her designs and gave them a little extra sparkle with DMC Light Effects thread. Follow her lead for bookmarks that have a cool texture and multi-dimensional style. Kim offers free patterns, but you can also choose any cross stitch pattern in the right size to make your own creation.