How to make a fabric bookmark

If you want the quickest possible win at the sewing machine, make a fabric bookmark. It uses two scraps, takes about fifteen minutes, and teaches you to sew a straight line, turn a corner, and topstitch, the holy trinity of machine basics. We handed these out to absolute beginners in workshops because everyone finished one and left grinning.

What you’ll need

• Two scraps of cotton, each about 18cm × 6cm (one for the front, one for the back).
• A scrap of fusible interfacing the same size (optional, but it gives the bookmark a nice firmness).
• Thread, scissors, pins, and a ribbon or tassel if you’d like one.

Step 1: Cut and (optionally) interface

Cut your two rectangles the same size. If you’re using interfacing, iron it to the wrong side of one piece; this stops the finished bookmark flopping. A bookmark with a little body holds its place in a book far better than a limp one.

Step 2: Add a tassel or ribbon loop

If you want a tassel or ribbon at the top, lay it on the right side of one piece now, pointing inwards, with the loose end poking just past the short top edge. It’ll be sewn into the seam and end up hanging out of the top.

Step 3: Sew, leaving a gap

Place the two pieces right sides together and pin. Sew all the way around with a 1cm seam allowance, leaving a 4cm gap along one long side for turning. Backstitch either side of the gap. Snip the corners off diagonally (close to the stitching but not through it) so they’ll turn out sharp.

Step 4: Turn, press and topstitch

Turn the bookmark right side out through the gap. Use a chopstick or a knitting needle to push the corners out fully. Press it flat, tucking the raw edges of the gap inside so they line up with the seam. Now topstitch all the way around, about 3mm from the edge. This single line of stitching closes the gap invisibly and gives a crisp, professional border.

Make a set

Because they’re so quick, bookmarks are the ideal thing to batch. Cut six pairs at once, chain-piece them through the machine one after another, and you’ve got a stack of handmade gifts for teachers, book-club friends, or a school fair in under an hour. Mix coordinating prints from the same fabric range for a set that looks designed.

Fifteen minutes, start to finish

A fabric bookmark is the fastest, most forgiving make there is: two scraps, a gap for turning, and a line of topstitching. It’s the project we’d hand anyone who’s nervous about their machine, because fifteen minutes later they’re holding something finished and neat, and ready to try the next thing.