Oct 303 min read

BOOKMARK COLOURING FUN

Bookmark Colouring Fun

Coloring in bookmarks is the perfect project for a crafty afternoon. They are small and quick to create, and would make a great little gift. With lots of designs, we are sure you will find one to fit any occasion

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED

paints and paintbrushes
pens (purchase them here)
white pen (purchase them here)
pencils
glue or sticky tape. (optional)
bookmark colouring pages (click links below)

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

Download the chosen bookmark pdf page or pages above. You can download them all if you like or download as you need them. Print them off to start creating. Couple of points for you to consider.

1. Your printer may not take thick card or water colour card, so choose the paper or card option that is best for you.

2. Sometimes printers choose not to print at 100% so check that it does, or scale to 100% before clicking print, however it won't matter if the bookmark is slightly smaller.

Once downloaded and printed, it's time to get creative!

You can use pens, pencils or paint to colour in the images. I have designed them, so they are not too intricate, making it easier for children to get good results. This helps build confidence in their artwork and hopefully encourage them to sit and get creative.

These have been coloured in with pens.

I have added highlights with a white POSCA pen, and personally feel that the white detailing adds real character to the images. Click HERE for the ones I used. These are my absolute favourite and a top tip is to let your coluring dry completely before adding the highlight detail.

You can get bold vibrant colours with pens, but it is more noticeable if you hop out of the lines. I like to call hopping, artistic flair, but often children can get a little disheartened when that happens, so pencils may be a better option.

Water colour pencils are fab. If you've never used them, they were a real game changer for me. Colour in most of the area, keeping away from the lines. With a water filled brush go over the colour dragging it up to the line. You can also use a normal paintbrush dipped in clean water. Don't forget to clean the tip each time or the colours will merge.

Of course, you don't need to use this technique with pencils, but it gives more depth to the colour and creates shading.

You can also use craft embellishments on your bookmarks, so let your imagination run wild.

Again, you can see in the pictures below, how highlighting with a white pen brings images to life.

Once you have coloured in the bookmarks, cut around them. Adult supervision is required for this step. The next step is personal. I like to do it, as it hides any colour bleed on the back of the bookmark and makes them thicker, which will help them to last longer.

Select some card, this can be any colour or you could use a cereal box. If you do this make sure you glue the back of the bookmark on the outer layer of the cereal box. This means you will have a nice blank back on the bookmark.

Glue the bookmarks on the card. I have left a gap around my bookmarks, so I can leave a small border showing, but you can cut them to the exact size of the bookmark if you prefer.