Project #1: The Ribbon Bookmark

I found a "gifts for under $5" section on Pinterest, and couldn't stop myself from immediately wanting to make 8 of each. I fell in love with the ribbon bookmarks, especially with Christmas around the corner. I think the velvet ribbon is so appropriate for Christmas, and I do have a few women who are retired but who love to read, and they are very hard to buy for. So these would be perfect!

Tools/Cost:
*The cost of the ribbon was $2.99 for a whole spool. It was on sale at Michael's.
*The ribbon clamps are assorted sizes, which was a bummer, but I had an 11 month old baby with me and was in a hurry, so I bought them anyway. They were $2.99 for 5 sets.
*The charms came 6 in a pack for $3.99. I also found individual charms for $1.99 each, but loved what these charms said, since they are for women who are very involved in the church. Plus, I had a 40% off one item coupon, so really they were $2.39. Look online for coupons before you go shopping!
*Pliers. I used my jewelry pliers. But you just need something to squeeze the clamps closed.

These are all the supplies: scissors to cut the ribbon, clamps, 2 sizes of ribbon (since the clamps are different sizes), charms, and my jewelry pliers. Regular pliers would work well though, too.

Steps in Pictures:

Cut the ribbon to about 9 inches.

You can go longer than this too, if you want the ribbon

to hang out of the book a little bit more.

Position a ribbon clamp at one end of the ribbon.

Use the pliers to pinch the ribbon clamp so it is tight on the ribbon.
You don't want it to fall off!
Repeat this for the other end of your ribbon.

Sorry, this one's blurry. Take your charm, and using your pliers,
open the jump ring at the end to attach it to the ribbon clamp.
Most charms will have the jump rings, but if not, you can buy a large pack for about $3.
Once the jump ring is threaded through the hook on the clamp,
use your pliers to close the jump ring again so it is tight and won't fall off.



Here you can see how the ribbon and the clamps are not the same size.
I don't mind it because I like how the clamp looks a smidgen too large.
However, in the future, I will be buying one-size clamps and making sure
they are the same width as the ribbon to give it a more "professional" look.





These say "Play" with the basketballs, "Believe," and "Faith."
It took about 10 minutes to make all 3 of these,
 and I can make 2 more with the clamps that I have.
So I can make start-to-finish 5 bookmarks for $8.40, plus have
some leftover supplies for when I buy more clamps.
Less than $2.00 per unique, one of a kind gift?
Yes, please!

 



I hope this tutorial was helpful to you!

Please comment if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them for you!