Easy Fabric Bookmark – A Beginner Sewing Project
Looking for a quick and simple sewing project to practise your skills?
This easy fabric bookmark is a lovely project for beginners. It uses only a small amount of fabric, doesn't take long to make, and gives you the opportunity to practise some of the most important basic sewing skills.
And the best part? You'll have something useful at the end! 😊
🧵 SKILL LEVEL
Beginner
This project is great for practising:
• Measuring and cutting fabric
• Pinning fabric pieces together
• Sewing straight seams
• Pivoting at corners
• Turning fabric right-side out
• Pressing
• Topstitching
✂️ WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• 2 pieces of cotton fabric
• Matching sewing thread
• Fabric scissors
• Pins or sewing clips
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Fabric marking tool
• Sewing machine
• Iron and ironing surface
• Point turner or another blunt tool for gently shaping the corners
📏 CUTTING YOUR FABRIC
Cut TWO rectangles of fabric:
7 cm wide × 20 cm long
You can use matching fabric for both sides or choose two coordinating fabrics for a fun reversible bookmark.
This is also a wonderful little project for using up fabric scraps from other sewing projects!
🪡 STEP 1 – PREPARE YOUR FABRIC
Place your two fabric rectangles together with the RIGHT SIDES of the fabric facing each other.
Line up all four edges carefully.
Pin or clip the layers together so they don't move while you're sewing.
🪡 STEP 2 – START SEWING
Using approximately a 1 cm seam allowance, sew around the edges of the bookmark.
Start along one of the long sides.
Remember to backstitch at the beginning to secure your stitches.
🪡 STEP 3 – PIVOT AT THE CORNERS
When you reach a corner:
1. Stop sewing with the needle DOWN in the fabric.
2. Lift the presser foot.
3. Turn the fabric.
4. Lower the presser foot.
5. Continue sewing.
This is called pivoting and is a very useful sewing skill to practise.
🪡 STEP 4 – LEAVE AN OPENING
Continue sewing around the bookmark, but leave an opening of approximately 5 cm along one side.
You'll need this opening to turn your bookmark right-side out.
Backstitch at both ends of the opening so the stitches don't come undone while you're turning it.
✂️ STEP 5 – TRIM THE CORNERS
Before turning the bookmark, carefully trim a little fabric diagonally from each corner.
Be careful not to cut through your stitching!
Removing this tiny bit of excess fabric helps create neater corners when the bookmark is turned.
🧵 STEP 6 – TURN IT RIGHT-SIDE OUT
Gently pull the fabric through the opening until the bookmark is completely right-side out.
Use a point turner or another blunt tool to gently push out each corner.
Don't use anything too sharp, as it could poke through your fabric.
♨️ STEP 7 – PRESS
Give the bookmark a good press with your iron.
At the opening, fold the raw edges towards the inside so they line up neatly with the sewn edge.
Press them into position.
🪡 STEP 8 – TOPSTITCH
Topstitch around the entire outside edge of your bookmark, approximately 2–3 mm from the edge.
This will:
• Close the turning opening
• Help the bookmark sit flat
• Give it a neat finished appearance
• Give you some excellent topstitching practice!
✨ YOUR BOOKMARK IS FINISHED!
That's it — you've made your own fabric bookmark!
This little project may be simple, but you've actually practised several important sewing techniques that you'll use again and again in future projects.
💡 BEGINNER TIP
Don't worry if your stitching isn't perfectly straight the first time.
Try watching the seam guide on your sewing machine rather than watching the needle itself. This can make it much easier to maintain a consistent seam allowance.
Remember — sewing becomes neater with practice.
🌸 MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Once you've made your first bookmark, try experimenting!
You could:
• Use two contrasting fabrics
• Add a ribbon loop
• Add a small fabric label
• Embroider an initial
• Use decorative topstitching
• Make a matching set
• Create bookmarks as handmade gifts
• Use your favourite fabric scraps
They're also a lovely way to turn those little pieces of beautiful fabric that are too good to throw away into something useful.
💜 KEEP PRACTISING
Small projects like this are a wonderful way to build sewing confidence.
You don't need to begin with complicated garments or expensive materials. Every small project teaches you another skill — and every stitch gives you a little more experience.
Happy sewing! 🧵✂️
Lyndaz Kreative Klasses
Helping beginners build sewing skills with confidence.