DIY Alcohol Ink Bookmarks
Create stunning alcohol ink bookmarks with vibrant, marbled colours on clear plastic sheets. This eye-catching craft is perfect for a creative afternoon and makes a beautiful handmade gift or personal keepsake.
Yield: 1 alcohol ink bookmark
Cost: $2
Equipment
- Baking sheet (or other protected surface)
Materials
- Transparency film
- Alcohol inks (several matching colours or shades)
- Laminating sheet
- Embroidery floss (to match inks)
Instructions
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Prepare the bookmark
- To make your bookmark you'll need a clear piece of plastic, like this overhead transparency sheet.
- Use a marker and ruler to draw a 1-3/4 by 5-1/2 inch rectangle. Cut out the bookmark.
- Punch a hole in the top of the bookmark, about 1/4 inch away from the edge, using a standard one hole punch.If you don't also have a smaller hole punch, cut this hole a bit larger (by 1/8 inch or so). Detail scissors will help with this.
- Spray the surface of your bookmark with rubbing alcohol and wipe it clean with paper towel. This will remove any marker residue and oils from the plastic.
Step 3: Add colour to the bookmark
- Set the bookmark on a parchment lined tray.
- Choose colours of alcohol ink for your bookmark. Here we're using 3 shades of blue, but you can also use colours that blend well together.
- Add drops of the first colour across the bookmark, leaving gaps between them.
- Then add the second and third shades onto the bookmark, until the plastic is totally covered.
- Once the colours are layered, use a straw to move the alcohol ink around. This helps to blend the colours and cover all areas of the plastic.
- Allow to dry about 5 minutes. Then flip the bookmark over and allow to dry another 5 minutes.
Step 4: Seal the bookmark
- Once your bookmark is dry, place it in a laminating sheet. (You can laminate at least 4 bookmarks in 1 sheet.)There are other ways to seal the bookmark (keep reading below), but we found the laminated bookmarks looked the best.
- Insert the laminating sheet into the top of the laminator and allow it to do its thing.
- Cut around the bookmark, carefully. You'll be able to see where the laminating line is, so be sure to cut outside of this, leaving a bit of a clear border.
Step 5: Add a tassel
- Use the 1/8 inch hole punch to cut a hole inside the hole from before. Be careful to place it exactly in the center.Since this hole punch is smaller, it creates a hole for the tassel while still keeping the rest of the bookmark laminated/sealed.
- Cut 4 pieces of embroidery floss, about 6 inches long, in a colour that matches your bookmark.
- Fold the pieces in half and insert the fold into the hole in the bookmark, coming in from the front.
- Put the end of the strands around the bookmark and through the loop created. Pull them tight to create the tassel.
- Your alcohol ink bookmark is complete!
- Now have fun making bookmarks in a variety of colours and using them in your favourite books.
Video
Notes
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