FROM BELINDA | Kid’s paintings recycled into Bookmarks
Belinda from Moonmum, a beacon of creativity and a wizard with paper crafts, is here to transform the mountains of children’s artwork that we cherish (and sometimes, secretly dread) into a symphony of charming bookmarks. Her craft? Sewing on paper, a skill she elegantly employs in her delightful line of paper goods.
So, dust off your Janome and let’s join Belinda on this repurposing adventure to save the artworks from the depths of drawers and turn them into the bookmarks that will mark the pages of our favorite stories.
Reimagining Artwork: Flower Bookmarks
As parents, we’ve all faced the dilemma: what to do with the endless influx of our children’s masterpieces? The answer isn’t at the bottom of a wastebin but in the craft of repurposing—giving these paintings a second life as blossoming bookmarks, ideal for gifting.
This Christmas, instead of buying off-the-shelf, we’re stitching love into every gift with bookmarks that carry a piece of your child’s heart and artistry. They’re perfect for the teachers who nurture their minds, the friends who share their playtimes, and the family who cherishes their growth.
Crafting the Blooms of Imagination
To begin, gather these simple materials:
- Vibrant kid’s paintings
- Rectangular cardstock scraps
- An assortment of ribbons and buttons
- Your trusty sewing machine, glue, scissors, and, if possible, a circle punch
- Optional: a small, eager helper (patience permitting)
First, extract circles from the colorful artwork—let the size of your cardstock guide you. My bookmarks shaped up to be about 6cm x 21cm.
Adhere these vibrant circles onto your cardstock rectangles. Next, let your sewing machine dance around the circles, sewing spirals to create petals, and pull a straight stitch down for the stem—add leaves to your heart’s desire.
Select buttons to crown your flowers. You can either paste or sew these on. Then, mount your flowery rectangle onto a larger piece, leaving a generous length at the bottom. I opted for the simplicity of plain brown packing cardboard.
Now for the final touch—punch a hole at the bottom of the bookmark. I used a whimsical flower punch, but any shape will do. Weave through a ribbon or a piece of lace, perhaps even some rustic string.
Personalize the back with a handwritten name or message from the kiddos. And just like that, you’re done!
The Sweetest Token of Love
These bookmarks are not just sweet; they’re sentimental, carrying stories and smiles in every handcrafted detail. A big thank you to Belinda for gifting us this heartfelt idea!
All creative content and images of this tutorial are the artistic property of Belinda Moon and should not be replicated without her consent.
As we look upon these bookmarks, they’re more than just placeholders in a book—they’re emblems of creativity, sustainability, and love, born from the doodles and splashes of our little ones’ imaginations. So let’s embark on this crafty journey together and wrap our gifts with a personal touch that speaks volumes.
