DIY: Kokeshi Fashion Bookmarks

One of the paper crafts I prepared for B's crafternoon party was fashion paper bookmarks.  It is a project that is easily adaptable if you have an afternoon with your kids this summer.  I will share with you the easy steps on how to make your own bookmarks made out from up-cycled materials.

It is sure to be a hit with your little fashion designers, and what makes this even more of a hit is that it is simple enough for the young ones to do on their own.  And as if that were not enough, the adults would love this project to bits as the materials needed are already available in your home - even right this second!  

 

Fashion Bookmark #1:
You will need:  cardstock paper, magazine cutouts, cutter/scissors, glue.

1.  First, you need to draw a layout of the kokeshi doll on paper.  Make sure that the "dress" is big enough to serve as a canvass.  Since I was doing this for a craft party, I decided it would be easier to just do a one digital pattern and mass-print it out.  Alternately, feel free to draw out the outline of the dress freehand, the facial features can be drawn using a fine-tipped pen, the hair can be colored in using markers.

2.  Using a sharp cutter/scissors, cut out the outline of the "dress."

3.  The next step would be to scan through back issues of fashion magazines and cut out boldly-colored and strongly-patterned pages.  Sort out the clippings, and group according to color or pattern

 

 

4.  Now, unleash the creativity, and mix and match the bits of papers to come up with your very own fashion creation!  The resulting work can be something simple...

Or it can also be an elaborate mix of patterns

Fashion Bookmark #2:

You will need:  cardstock paper cut-out to the following shapes; dress shape, circular shape for the face and a semi-circle for the hair, paper puncher cutouts, cutter/scissors, glue.

And so nothing is wasted, the paper cut-outs that was taken out (the dress outline) can be made into still another kind of bookmark.

Fashion Bookmark #3:
You will need:  used envelope corners, nice graphics cut-out from magazines: 

 

1.  cut-out a corner from a used envelope

2.  glue the entire surface

3.  stick template/magazine cut-out onto the glued surface.

4.  press firmly together until glue dries up completely.

Happy crafting!