Posted on by Meghan G · 1 Comment

Plaid Magnetic Bookmark DIY

img_0234

I love magnetic bookmarks but sometimes I feel like there aren’t a lot of options out there in terms of their design which lead me to the idea that I could make my own using scrapbook paper and self adhesive magnets and with fall quickly approaching I went with a plaid design.

img_0184-2

What you’ll need:

  • Scrapbook paper of your choosing (I got mine from Hobby Lobby)
  • A piece of card stock for extra support (also Hobby Lobby)
  • Scissors
  • Self-adhesive magnetic sheet

Optional:

  • Paper Trimmer (Scissors will work fine but I have a paper trimmer and it just makes it a little more exact)

Step 1:

Take the paper with the pattern or design and the card stock paper and cut a strip about an inch wide (you can always make it slimmer or wider if you prefer). They should look something like this:

img_0223

I only used one strip each which gave me 3 bookmarks, 2 small and 1 large size. You can do however many strips you like to accommodate the number of bookmarks you plan on making.

img_0198

Step 2:

Cut the paper into the sizes you would like, remember these will be folded over so take that into account when folding. Then glue the card stock to the back of the scrapbook paper. I personally like to use Elmer’s repositionalbe glue stick but you can use whatever you have on hand.

After the glue has dried fold the paper in half. It should look something like this:

img_0202

Before completely going into this step I’ll let you know that I tried three different ways of placing the magnets onto the bookmark so I’ll be giving directs on each one in case you would like to use one method over the others.

img_0204

Step 3:

Take the magnetic sheet and cut a part of it to use for your bookmark. Measuring and cutting using the entire sheet can be a bit difficult so using a small piece is easier to handle.

For my first bookmark I took the paper covering the adhesive side off and placed one side of the back of the bookmark on it:

img_0207

Taking the scissors cut along the edge so that it aligns with the bookmark. Because the paper is already connected to the adhesive you should have one side completely covered with the magnet now.  Repeat the same process for the other side.

The end result on the inside should look like this:

img_0208

For my second bookmark (this was the larger sized one) I only placed the adhesive magnet on the ends. Simply cut small squares that take up about 1/3 of the bottom, don’t cut too small of a square though as I found that that size magnet isn’t strong enough to connect with each other.

The end result should look like this:

img_0231

The third bookmark I don’t have pictured of the inside but essentially I left the paper unfolded and stuck the entire backside to the adhesive and cut along the bookmarks edge then folded it over.

The bookmark that worked best was the first bookmark, I found the magnet worked the best for that one.

The end result should look like this:

img_0232

I hope you’ll try it out. It was fairly easy and there are endless patterns you can use.

If you do try it out let me know, I’d love to see them!

 

Happy Reading,

Meghan

Advertisement
Posted on by Meghan G · 2 Comments

Target Bookcase Makeover


This past weekend I decided I needed a bookcase as the current one I have couldn’t handle all of the books I’ve been collecting lately (aka hoarding). I went to Target and picked up one for less than $20 but felt as though it needed something and thus my simple bookcase became a Saturday project.

I got the idea for my DIY project on pinterest. The pin leads to a blog called A Beautiful Mess where the blogger used fabric, rubber cement, and an x-acto knife to transform her corner shelf into an interesting piece of furniture. I found the directions to be simple enough and here is how I made over my plain simply bookcase into something unique.

 

What I used:

  • 3 shelf bookcase in white (target)
  • 1 1/2 yard of fabric
  • Rubber cement
  • X-acto knife
  • Hammer and screwdriver (used for assembling bookcase)
  • Large clothes pins

 

I started by taking the backing of the bookcase before assembling, so that I could cut my fabric to size. In the original directions it says to leave at lease an inch longer than needed so that you can cut with the x-acto knife after placing the fabric along the back to have the most accurate fitting. I probably left a little more than that just in case I didn’t cut correctly the first time.

Tip: I used the large close pins to hold the fabric to the back board to help me cut along the edge. I would place two on the opposite side of what I was cutting. So two on top and two on the bottom if I cut along the sides and vice versa for cutting long the top and bottom:


After cutting out my fabric I assembled the bookshelf and attached the back but didn’t add the shelves leaving only the what I refer to as the outline of the bookshelf. I then laid down the bookcase facing up and laid my fabric down with the backside facing up and the pattern on touching the ground.

Taking the rubber cement I coated the backboard of the bookcase and the backside of my fabric completely. Then I let it dry. (The rubber cement dries quickly and by using the dry application rather than wet application let’s you move the fabric around without it permanently sticking right away.)

With my fabric, I started in the middle and worked my way out smoothing the fabric down as I went to remove creases and create a flat surface. Once my fabric was laid down the way I wanted, I then took the x-acto knife and cut along where the actual bookshelf connected with the back. I did this process with the bookcase still on the ground but it may have been easier if I had sat it up right as the cutting with the x-acto knife would sometimes prove difficult.

Once completed I was able to immediately add the shelves in as I didn’t have to wait for anything to dry. And I could also begin to add my books and decorations without any problems either.

My finished product:

When I was deciding what I wanted to decorate my bookcase with I knew I’d need something to store my bookmarks in. I found this wooden box with glass top at Hobby Lobby. It adds a little something extra and I always have a place for my bookmarks so I don’t lose them!


This was an easy project that only took me a couple of hours to complete, but most of that time was taken to assemble the bookshelf because I had a tendency to screw the screws in crookedly and the holes wouldn’t line up with them. Oops! Other than that I did it all in an afternoon and really like how it turned out.

If any of you decide to do this DIY I’d love to see it.

Which leads me to a great segway (kind of, not really) that I’ve finally updated my social media so you can find me on twitter at Bookofmeghan or on Instagram as mgetti89. I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Reading,

Meghan