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Packing Tape Bookmarks

It's easy and quick to "laminate" bookmarks using packing tape, the plastic making them durable & long lasting. Personalise a bookmark to make a special present. Children can create the bookmark and an adult can help them with the packing tape.

Materials Required

  • Thick paper or light card
  • Decorations for the bookmark - dried flowers, die cuts, pencils & pens
  • Packing tape 
  • Scissors or a craft cutter
  • Craft mat (recommended, but not necessary)

Instructions

1. Cut a strip of paper that is 1.5cm thinner than the width of your packing tape. 
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  • My packing tape was 5cm wide, so my paper strip was 3.5 cm in width.
  • I cut a 3.5cm strip of a piece off a piece of A4 paper that was orientated landscape. The length of the bookmark was then perfect for an "average" book.

2. Decorate the strip of paper.
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  • Thin decorations are best. Thick and bulky decorations will distort the packing tape when you apply it over the top.
  • Make sure that your decorations are attached firmly to the paper - with my pressed flower bookmark I used a dot of glue to attach each flower, so they would not move about as I finished the bookmark.
  • Ideas for decorations include pressed flowers, die cuts, doodling, rub-ons, drawing, & writing a message.
  • If making these with kids you can try stickers, pictures cut out of a magazine, stamping, drawing, a piece of their art work & postage stamps...
Packing Tape Bookmarks. A free & fully illustrated tutorial on creating your own fun & easy bookmarks.
paper strip decorated with die cuts. I used a sticker maker to adhere them down.
3. Lay a piece of sticky tape on your craft mat (or table)
  • ​Attach one end of the tape securely to the craft mat.
  • Carefully pull out a length of tape (sticky side faces up) that is 5-10cm longer than your bookmark paper. You may have to hold the stuck end down to prevent it pulling off the craft mat.
  • Cut the tape and turn under the end to stick it down to the craft mat.

The tape lies with the sticky side facing up. The ends are turned back underneath and stick to the craft mat.
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1. Attach the tape to the craft mat
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2. Pull out a length of the tape
Picture
3. Turn the end over and stick it down onto the craft mat
4. Position your book mark with even edges of sticky tape each side, onto the packing tape.
5. Cut a piece of packing tape that is slightly longer than the piece of the craft mat. Taking care to align it as closely as possible, attach this piece over the packing tape & bookmark.
  • Start by attaching it at one end initially, and then slowly lower it down, working from top to bottom over the bookmark, making sure that no bubbles or creases form as you work down the bookmark.
  • Don't worry if your alignment is not perfect - we are going to be trimming the tape in the next step.
6. Using a craft trimmer (recommended for it's straight lines) or scissors, cut the excess packing tape away from the edges of the bookmark, leaving a small even border of tape around the bookmark.
7. Finished & ready to use :)
Mother's Day Bookmark
Children's Art Work Bookmark
​My art designs are now available in my REDBUBBLE Store printed onto stickers, cards, t-shirts, journals and heaps more. Check it out here.