Ideas for Hand-stitching Bookmarks

The idea here was to create designs that would allow me to use up the beads I've collected over the last couple of months, from various bracelets/chains that have snapped or which I no longer use. I also had a little flower left over from a Japanese fabric craft class, which I sewed myself but never quite found a use for.

First, I cut oblong pieces of black cloth and sewed them onto correspondingly-sized pieces of paper, using a basic tacking stitch.

Next, I used a pencil to trace out patterns on the cloth and sewed along the drawn lines, using thick "cross stitch" type thread.

To add texture and colour to the designs, I sewed in different-coloured beads here and there, to outline petals or leaves.

The finished product could be used as a bookmark or even the front of a homemade notebook or card.