Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Quote Bookmark (DIY)

"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.  
And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal."

At the end of April, I finally sat down and read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - and couldn't stop until I reached the final, heartbreaking page.  For at least a year (possibly longer), people have been gushing about John Green: telling me I have to read his books, and I will fall in madly love with them.  Annnnd...I pretty much did.  The way he writes is so descriptive and magical - and almost secretive, like you shouldn't be reading it at all.  I connected with so many quotes that I started to dog-ear the pages in order to find them later.

The Fault in Our Stars in a young adult novel, but I promise its worth your time.  Because it was written for teenagers, it is a very easy read (I finished it in three days) and I definitely recommend picking it up before the movie comes out in June.  Lets just be real here: you and I both know how challenging it can be to read a book after you've seen the movie.

With a few of those quotes and some fabulous fabric stencils from My Next Style, I made these bookmarks for all of my John Green - adoring friends.


You will need:
- Fabric Stencils
- hot glue gun
- acrylic or fabric paint
- pen or fine point marker
- ribbon, 1.5" wide
- card stock










To begin, cut the ribbon into strips about 9" - 10" long.  
Ribbon likes to fray, so we must to prevent that.
Roll one edge of your ribbon over like this:
Then use the hot glue gun to secure the roll, hiding and sealing the raw edge.
This with be the top of your bookmark.
The bottom edge will be notched.  Fold the ribbon in half with the sides touching.
Starting at the corner with the touching sides, cut at an angle towards the folded edge.
Ta-da!
When you unfold the bookmark, you will have a fancy notch.
The fabric stencils come connected on one sheet.  
Cut them apart carefully, leaving as much black space around each shape as possible.
Peel away the back and place the stencils near the top of your bookmark.  
Press the edges with your fingers to prevent the paint from bleeding underneath.
I used three stars or hearts on each one.
Apply the paint by dabbing, rather than sweeping the brush across the stencil.  This will create a thin even layer and avoid gloppy buildup around the edges.
Once the paint has dried, slowly peel away the stencils.
Stick them on a piece of wax paper and save for later.  
You can reuse them until they loose their sticky-ness. 
Cut a section of card stock to fit on your ribbon.  Don't worry about making it perfect.
Pick a quote to write on the card stock, then hot glue it in place.
Anyone who enjoys reading will appreciate a bookmark.  
Get together with friends to make them, or share them as party favors or gifts.
 




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