Easy Bookmarks to Sew with a Free Pattern

heather handmade sewing

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Check out these easy bookmarks to sew with a free sewing pattern. These four bookmarks use scraps of fabric for a quick beginner sewing project!

Have your kids been reading this summer? Are your kids read for back to school with some new bookmarks to start the school year? Make a cool bookmark to encourage reading!

I’ve put a tutorial together for four different bookmarks to sew. They are all easy, but some are quicker than others. Choose the one with your favorite design to make the best bookmark. There’s also a free PDF sewing pattern you can print.

Easy Bookmarks to Sew with a Free Pattern

We take our kids to the library a lot to get them excited about reading, but we are always misplacing our bookmarks. We often end up using ripped pieces of paper. We needed some new fabric bookmarks that we love and keep using.

The best thing about these bookmarks are that they are so easy to customize. You can use a fun and colorful fabric print, or you can add a name to personalize it.

What fabric should I use to make a bookmark?

The best fabric to use for bookmarks is quilting cotton. Its easy to find, easy to sew, and it comes in every print and color imagineable. Since these bookmarks are small, you can use up all your favorite small scraps of fabric!

bookmark to sew

There’s a rectangle bookmark with raw pinked edges, a rectangle bookmark with enclosed edges, a fabric corner bookmark, and a fabric and elastic bookmark. Which is your favorite design?

Easy Bookmarks to Sew with a Free Pattern

What is a PDF sewing pattern?

A PDF pattern is a sewing pattern designed on the computer and organized so that it can be printed on several letter or A4 size pieces of paper.

I love using PDF sewing patterns because if the pattern gets ruined or if my children or I changed sizes, I can always print it again. It’ll never be destroyed since I have a digital version!

bookmark to sew

How do you use a PDF sewing pattern?

Open the PDF on a computer and click print. When printing make sure that the scaling is set to 100% or no scaling so that the pattern prints at the correct size.

Once the pattern is printed it can be taped together to get the full size. Then the pattern can be cut for each pattern piece size or individual sizes can be traced so that the pattern can be used again and again. Learn how to use PDF sewing patterns.

bookmark to sew

Do you love to sew? Try one of these fun sewing projects:

corner bookmark to sew

Easy Bookmarks to Sew

Supplies

  • Free bookmark sewing patterns – get it at the end of the post
  • Scraps of quilting cotton fabric
  • Scraps of lightweight interfacing
  • Sewing tools
  • Sewing machine

Do you just want the pattern and tutorial as a PDF? Get the pattern and tutorial for just $5. You won’t need to access the internet every time you want to make it. Or get the Pattern Bundle with ALL the PDF tutorials!

sew bookmark supplies

Easy Pinked Bookmark

bookmark to sew

Cut two fabric rectangles with the pattern piece. Cut one interfacing rectangle with the pattern piece.

cut out 2 fabric rectangles and 1 interfacing

Apply the interfacing to the back of one fabric rectangle.

apply interfacing

Pin the two rectangle WRONG sides together.

pin wrong sides together

Sew around the rectangle with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Pivot at the corners and backstitch when you start and when you stop.

sew around edge

Trim the edges with pinking shears. Make sure you don’t cut through the stitches. You finished!

trim with pinking shears

Easy Rectangle Bookmark

bookmark to sew

Cut two fabric rectangles with the pattern piece. Cut one interfacing rectangle with the pattern piece.

cut out 2 fabric rectangles and 1 interfacing

Apply the interfacing to the back of one of the rectangles.

apply interfacing

Pin the two rectangles with right sides together. Sew around the rectangle with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Leave a 2 inch hole for turning. Backstitch when you start and when you stop.

Trim the corners to reduce bulk.

trim corners

Turn the bookmark right sides out and poke out the corners. Press the bookmark flat.

turn right side out and poke corners

Edgestitch around the edges 1/8 inch from the edge and close the hole. You finished!

sew around edges

Fabric Corner Bookmark

corner bookmark to sew

Cut out three fabric squares with the pattern piece. Cut out two interfacing squares with the pattern piece.

cut out 3 fabric squares and 2 interfacing

Apply the interfacing to 2 of the fabric squares.

apply interfacing

Fold one interfaced square in half diagonally. Press the fold in place. Place the triangle on top of the interfaced square matching up the two sides.

fold 1 square diagonally and place on another

Place the remaining square on top with right sides together. Pin all the layers together.

pin remaining square right sides together

Sew around the square pivoting at the corners with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Leave a 2 inch hole for turning.

Trim the corners to reduce bulk.

trim corners

Turn the bookmark right sides out and poke out the corners. Press the bookmark flat.

turn right side out and poke corners

Edgestitch around the edges 1/8 inch from the edge and close the hole. You finished!

sew around edges

Fabric and Elastic Bookmark

bookmark to sew

Cut two fabric rectangles with the pattern piece. Cut one interfacing rectangle with the pattern piece.

Cut a piece of 1/4 inch elastic that is 8 inches long.

cut out 2 fabric rectangles and 1 interfacing

Apply the interfacing to the back of one of the fabric rectangles.

apply interfacing

Pin the two fabric rectangles together with right sides together. Fold all four of the short ends down 1/4 inch.

pin right sides together fold down short ends

Sew the two long sides 3/8 inch from the edge. Backstitch when you start and stop.

Turn the tube right sides out. Press the bookmark flat making sure that the short ends are tucked inside.

turn right side out

Pin the ends of the elastic into the short ends of the bookmark.

insert elastic into two ends

Sew across the short ends 1/8 inch from the edge securing the elastic inside and closing the holes. Backstitch when you start and stop. You finished!

sew across the short ends and secure elastic

Get the Free Sewing Pattern here!

easy bookmarks to sew

If you make something using this sewing project, I’d love to see! Please share it on social media with the hashtag #heatherhandmade and tag me!

heather sewing

I believe small sewing moments can create great joy. Find your own “right” way to sew. -Heather

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I plan to make the rectangular shape bookmark with elastic for my great granddaughters. I have machine embroidered a butterfly on the fabric prior to cutting. I also plan to make some of the square/triangle bookmarks as little stocking stuffers. Thank you for the cute ideas.

Thanks Heather, what is the purpose of the interfacing here? Do you think it would work without it?

Would it still work without it tho?