Turn floral resin charms into charming ribbon bookmarks with this easy DIY tutorial—perfect for gifts, journaling, or everyday reading.
Last week I shared how I made these floral resin charms using pressed flowers from my garden.
Today, I want to show you a fun and easy way to use them: by turning them into ribbon bookmarks!
These resin charms make great bookmark weights and look gorgeous hanging out of a book.
Why Ribbon Bookmarks?
I have been a little obsessed with these ribbon bookmarks lately.
I’ve been reading multiple books at once, plus I have my Bible that I read almost daily, so I could actually use quite a few bookmarks!
This project felt like the perfect way to use my floral resin charms because, honestly, how many necklaces and keychains does a person really need?
Also, some of my charms were on the larger side, and I prefer to have smaller pendants for jewelry.
Bookmarks just were a better fit for the larger charms.
Now, you don’t have to have these charms to complete this project. You can use any beads or charms that you have on hand.
The beauty of a DIY like this one is that you can make it your own.
RELATED POST: DIY Bag Charms and Keychains with Pressed Flower Charms
At a bookmark-making party I hosted a month ago, some of my friends created themed bookmarks to match the books they were reading.
It was so much fun, and we ended up with some very creative and beautiful bookmarks.
Ribbon bookmarks like these make great handmade gifts featuring flowers from your garden. For more gift ideas you can make from your garden, take a look at this post.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
What You’ll Need
You’ll need the following materials to make your own ribbon and charm bookmarks.
- 5/8″ flat ribbon (This one that I used has multiple colors in one pack)
- 5/8″ ribbon clamps
- jewelry pliers (flat nose and needle nose work best for opening jump rings)
- jump rings (choose a color that matches your clamps and charms)
- charms, tassels, beads, etc.
- floral resin charms (here’s my tutorial to make this)
CUSTOMIZATION TIP: For ribbons, I like the 5/8″ size, but feel free to go bigger or smaller. Just get clamps that match your ribbon size.
Don’t Have Jewelry Pliers?
Jewelry pliers are pretty inexpensive and easy to find. Look for them online, at craft stores, or in the craft section in stores like Walmart.
However, if you can’t purchase or borrow some, don’t sweat it. Do this instead:
- Use split jump rings. These are like tiny keyrings and you should be able to open them up with a fingernail to slip charms and ribbon clamps on.
- Use regular pliers. You can use these to close the ribbon clamps, but be extra gentle. They can scratch the metal.
How to Make Ribbon Bookmarks
Here’s my tutorial for making ribbon bookmarks.
Step 1: Cut Your Ribbon
Place the ribbon in your book and mark how long you want it to be.
I like having an inch at the bottom and a couple inches sticking out at the top.
Step 2: Attach the Ribbon Clamps
Next, close the clamp partway with your fingers and then slide the ribbon inside using a flat nose plier to close the clamp completely. This helps keep the clamp straight and centered on the ribbon.
If you mess up, you can shimmy a small screwdriver inside the clamp and wiggle it until it opens up enough for you to pull the ribbon out.
TIP: If using a satin ribbon, add a little drop of glue to the inside of the clamp to help the ribbon stay in place.
Step 3: Add Charms and Beads
Using jump rings, attach your beads, charms, and tassels to each end of the ribbon.
TIP: Open jump rings by twisting the ends apart side-to-side, not pulling them apart like a clam. This preserves the shape of the jump ring and makes it easier to close it back up neatly.
Tips for Extra Customization
Want to make your ribbon bookmarks even more special? Here are a few ideas to personalize them.
- Use multiple ribbons. Attach 2-3 ribbons onto a single jump ring and charm for books where you are reading multiple sections at at time. Great for textbooks, cookooks, or Bibles!
- Add beaded strands. String beads on thin wire, embroidery floss, or strong thread and attach them to either end of your ribbon. It adds movement, color, and looks extra fancy.
- Include initial charms. Add small alphabet charms with your initials (or the initials of the person you’re gifting it to) on the same jump ring as your main charm. I love these double-sided enamel ones.
- Add a quote or word charm. Use metal stamped charms with meaningful words or quotes. Or, DIY a quote or word charm by writing or printing it on paper and gluing it to the back of these blank cabochon charms.
- Make your own tassels. Combine different ribbon materials, yarn, string, or thin strips of fabric to make a DIY tassel for your bookmark.
- Match a book’s color or theme. Choose colors that match your favorite book cover. Find special charms that go with the book’s theme.
- Seasonal bookmarks. Make a bookmark to celebrate a season or holiday. (Like red and green for a Christmas reading list!)
Enjoy Your Custom-Made Bookmarks
That’s pretty much it for the tutorial! Now you have a beautiful, custom ribbon bookmark to enjoy! I love how mine turned out.
They’re also extra special because I grew these blooms myself.
Are you thinking about growing flowers? These beginner-friendly flowers are a great place to start.
I also love using these filler flowers for pressing and crafting. They have tiny blooms that are perfect for resin charms.
Whether you’re using floral resin charms like mine, or something else that you love, these bookmarks are a great way to add personality to your pile of TBRs or to gift to a friend who loves books.
I hope you love your new bookmarks as much as I love mine!