What is a Bookmark?

A bookmark is a page keeper. A reader inserts a bookmark into the pages of a book when he or she stops reading. This way when it's time to read again, the reader can open the pages where the bookmark is to find the place in the book where he or she left off at rather than trying to remember the page number. Bookmarks save having to flip through the book and read sentences trying to find the exact place to re-start reading the book. A bookmark can be made from many different materials from a simple piece of cardboard to a specially made plastic clip to an ornately embellished fabric creation. Bookmarks may be mass produced and sold in stores or may be hand made.

Hand made bookmarks can be created from scrap materials you have around the home. For example, after flattening a cardboard box that once held facial tissue, cut rectangles from it to make a few bookmarks before you add the rest of the cardboard to the recycling bin. Just glue two rectangles together with the pattern on the outsides and you'll have colorful sturdy bookmarks. Facial tissue boxes are often available in attractive patterns and colors so this is a great way to make the design last longer.

You can also buy patterned cardboard bookmarks. Some are laminated and some have a tassel added to the top. A bookmark for sale in a book store or other retail shop may be imprinted with a humorous saying or a poem. A bookmark can make a great extra gift when you're buying a book for a gift. Most book stores sell them on stands near the check out.

You can often find fun children's bookmarks to give with children’s books as gifts. Bookmarks with their favorite licensed characters on them might even help less eager readers become more interested in reading. Making bookmarks is an excellent craft do to with children of all ages and even a very small child can make a few crayon scribbles on a blank piece of white cardboard. It's a good idea to cut the rectangles a little larger for younger children so that the bookmark is easier to handle. Older children can make bookmarks from scraps of ribbon and sequins they glue onto pieces of felt.

Some types of bookmarks are plastic clips that attached right on a page in a book. These are great when transporting a book as a regular bookmark may slide out from between the pages. In a pinch, you can clip a paper clip onto your book page to use as a bookmark.