Celebrate Earth Day Everyday!

Did you know Americans alone use over 67,000,000 tons of paper each year, or 600 pounds per person. Think of all the paper type trash you may throw out. Well being that today is Earth day, I am going to share with you a creative way to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle some of your paper rubbish into a pretty cool bookmark!

I went through my recycling bin and pulled all sorts of colorful printed packages. There were so many to choose from. I found some candy boxes, video game packaging, toy packaging, and DVD covers among lots of other discarded product packaging. The great part is all of the packaging I pulled, come from products or items that my family and I already like, so chances are they will enjoy the recycled creations. These Recycled bookmarks are useful, plus they promote reducing, reusing, recycling and reading! Do them as party crafts, or make as parting gifts. They are sure to spark the green in your friends. So give it a try! These recycle bookmarks are fun, simple, and Free. So before you throw out that box, think about what a fab book mark it could be. Your trash can be another friends page holder. :o)

Supplies that you will need:

• Scissors
• Pencil
• Double sided permanent tape
• Clear packing tape
• Exclusive bookmark template print out (click here)

Before you begin, I recommend making the print out template sturdier. To do this, you don’t need to use nice colored poster board, instead look to your recycling bin. Find cardboard from packaging or products like an empty cereal box. That type of cardboard is sturdy yet it can still be cut through with little resistance. 

Once you have your exclusive bookmark template reinforced, choose an area of the packaging that has nice graphics to trace around for your bookmark. The Pac-Man graphic I am using in the picture is from an insert from a video game package.

Hold the template in place. TIP: The template is likely to slip if the packaging you are tracing onto is glossy. After you trace, cut it out. If the underside has something you’re not particularly fond of, then trace around another area, to take the place of the side you do not like.

NOTE: (Only If using Template 2) Flip the template over, to mirror the first trace marks. Template 1 and 3 are exact without having to flip over.

Cut out along the trace marks. Once both pieces are cut out, put them together to make sure they match up. Apply double stick tape along the top and bottom of the inside area of one side of the bookmark. Adhere the two sides together, press and hold to make sure they are stuck in place.

Next, I want to create a makeshift-laminating job by using clear packaging tape. I recommend using a clean un-stick able surface. I utilized my paper cutter; the cutting board itself is made from laminate and has grid lines on it. Pull a piece of packing tape about 6” long. Stick a small edge of the tape down to the surface along a guideline, while making sure it’s opposite end is aligned with the same guideline. Position the bookmark centered under the tape that is stuck to the board. Slowly lay the tape with one hand while pressing it down with the other. Make sure the bookmark does not shift while laying the tape. Flip, and repeat to the backside.

Try to go slow and get the bookmark centered between both sides of the tape. This will ensure that both sides will align nicely and there will not be any exposed tape due to misalignment. Next, use your nail to go around all the edges of bookmark. You can work out any little air bubbles, by using your thumbnail as well.

Trim the excess tape around the edges. Voila! One cool Pac-Man Book Mark.

You can even add in a tassel for an even more tailored bookmark creation. For my tassels I used yellow embroidery string/floss. Use a hole puncher to pop a hole at the top portion of the bookmark. There maybe a little resistance depending on the thickness of your bookmark. Measure out 9”-10” of sting. I quadrupled my string, for a thicker tassel. Cut, then fold in half length wise.

Now you will feed the folded part through the punched hole. Tip: wrap a small piece of tape around the string to help create a point to push through the hole.

Once the tip is through, carefully remove the tape without pulling the entire string through the hole. Open up the string where it was folded under the tape. Feed the tail end of the string through. Pull tight. Then, tie a knot at the base of the string and the hole. Trim the ends so they are all even.

Here are a couple of bookmarks (Cat in the Hat bookmark and the Lord of the Rings bookmark) that were purchased for stocking stuffers last Christmas, which cost $2.99 each. That is not including tax! Kinda costly, huh? Not to mention they only have one side printed with a colorful picture. So which sounds better…Six dollars for two bookmarks (left image) at the bookstore, or six bookmarks (right image) with two colorful sides at no cost to you. It’s just another fun and clever way to make a green statement. Go Green!

Comments

[Lowbudget]

Thanks for this free idea! I recently made these as a party favor for my son's Nintendo DS party. I put a thank you message on the reverse side of the bookmarks, laminated them and will be putting one in each goodie bag. Now that is a cheap party favor!