With school right around the corner, it’s time to remind our kids that reading is fun! One of the best ways to do that is by getting them excited about choosing what they read, keeping track of their favorites, and marking their progress with fun DIY bookmarks. For a quick and easy craft that’s perfect for readers of all ages, try these felt flower bookmarks. There are a few different ways to complete this project, so your kids might want to make these over and over again!
Gather Your Supplies
No matter what variety of felt flower bookmarks you’re making, there are a few basic supplies you’ll need:
· Felt in various colors
· Buttons in several sizes and colors
· Scissors
· Hot glue and/or felt glue
· Craft sticks and/or wide elastic
The best part about this project is that kids can mix and match their techniques and color choices, so offering whatever you have on hand is just as good as getting a lot of new supplies from the store. This is also a great way to use up those felt scraps that may be leftover from other activities!
Flower Option 1: Cut Out Flat Patterns
For the youngest kids, cutting and gluing flat flower patterns is the easiest option (but the older kids will love to have this option as well!). Using sharp fabric scissors, cut out a variety of flower patterns in slightly different sizes; you can use a template like this one here, or just eyeball a good flower shape. Think about what options will work best for layering—each completed flower will have two or three pieces stacked to make the finished product.
Once you’ve cut out the flower patterns, it’s time to get the kids involved! Using felt glue, have the kids pick two or three flower cutouts and glue them together, one on top of the other—the result should be a 3-D flower like these that shows parts of all the petals overlapping and stacked. The final step for these flowers is to glue a button in the middle!
Flower Option 2: Hot Glue Spirals
A second flower option for the older kids involves rolling spiral flowers and securing them with hot glue. Begin by cutting circles of various sizes and colors out of felt. Then, cut each circle into a spiral. Starting with the loose end, begin rolling up the spiral, and use a dab of hot glue to secure the loose end to your roll.
When you come to the very end of the circle in your rolling, use that center piece to secure the bottom of the flower with a larger dab of hot glue. When you’re finished, each spiral flower will look somewhat like a rosebud from above. Here’s a great example of the finished product. Glue a button in the middle, then move onto the next flower! 
Photo: vyacheslavs via 123RF
Complete the Bookmark Option 1: Craft Sticks
For either kind of flower, one option for adding the stem and bookmark component is to glue everything to a green craft stick! Little kids can easily complete this step independently, and it doesn’t require much extra time. You can bundle a bunch of these flower bookmarks together for a sweet bouquet as a gift or to keep on your new reader’s desk! Add some green felt leaves if you’d like an extra bit of fun.
Complete the Bookmark Option 2: Elastic
For a more sophisticated final product, use wide elastic to make the bookmark component. For this option, glue your flowers (one, two, or more!) to a piece of felt so that they’re all one item; you can even glue some small felt leaves to this piece for added detail!
Next, take your elastic and glue it together to make a loop; make sure to choose the right length of elastic for your planned use. Remember that kid’s books are often thin, so a short piece of elastic is best for them! Glue the bundle of flowers to the elastic where it overlaps, then use another piece of felt to cover the seam underneath. Your finished product will be an elastic bookmark that will display your flowers of choice on the front of your book, just like this!
These felt flower bookmarks are a great way to show some love to the readers in your life. Plus, kids of all ages will have a great time making this easy craft!