If you have ever lost your bookmark when halfway through a great read you will know just how annoying it can be. Yet, this is something so easily avoidable with a magnetic bookmark and by making your own you can personalise each one to your own taste.
Or, they make really fantastic gifts for your friends and family – especially at Christmas.
A magnetic bookmark is normally made out of a single piece of material or card which is folded in half and slipped over a page or pages. The magnets on each side of the bookmark attract together through the thickness of the page and hold the bookmark securely in place.
Here’s what you need:
- Inkjet printer flexible A4 magnetic sheet (makes 5 x 40mm wide bookmarks per sheet)
- Scissors
Or
- Card, patterned, white or coloured depending on your preference
- A4 sheet of 54 self-adhesive magnetic dots
- Scissors
How To Make a Magnetic Bookmark Using Magnetic Sheets
Step 1
Simply open up a desktop publishing program on your computer or even a more basic program like Microsoft Word and mark out four lines vertically down the page approximately 40mm apart.
You will cut down these lines later to make each individual bookmark.
Step 2
Create your own design for each bookmark. Remember that each strip will be folded in half so the design on the bottom half of each strip will need to be turned upside down.
Also, not all printers will print to the very edge so be sure to leave a small blank space around the edge of your designs leaving room to cut.
Step 3
Once you have created your designs, put one magnetic sheet into your printer on top of your regular paper, ensuring you are inserting the sheet the correct way up so that the printer will print onto the white side and print your designs.
Do not put more than one sheet into your printer at any one time as they will stick together and jam.
Step 4
Once printed, allow the ink to dry thoroughly before cutting. You can cut the sheet with a pair of regular scissors or with a paper trimmer.
Step 5
Fold each bookmark in half and crease. Then, take your scissors or craft knife and carefully and lightly score along the crease on the magnetic side to help prevent the bookmark from springing open.
Step 6
Place your bookmark over the top of the page and press together. The two pieces of the bookmark will attract together and hold tight against the page.
How To Make a Magnetic Bookmark Using Card & Self-Adhesive Magnets
Step 1
Take your piece of card and mark out the borders to the size of the bookmark you wish to create.
Step 2
Cut out your bookmark and fold it in half.
Step 3
Add your own design and embellishments to your bookmark.
Step 4
Peel off two self-adhesive 30mm diameter magnetic dots and stick one to the inside of one side of the bookmark and press it firmly in place.
Step 5
Take the second magnet and place the magnetic face on top of the magnet on the bookmark.
Then, twist the second magnet carefully in one direction until you feel it snap in place and where the attraction is strongest.
Then, press the two flaps of the bookmark together and hold for a few seconds, taking care not to dislodge the magnets.
Step 6
Open the bookmark and slide it over your page then allow the two magnetic dots to attract, holding the bookmark in place.