Leather bookmarks are fun and easy to make. One variant is available on my website, www.atelieruldeistorie.ro, that specializes in handmade artifacts inspired by the civilizations of Antiquity, mainly Dacian, Roman, Celtic etc. The bookmarks in question can be included among those from the first category, as the chosen symbol that decorates them is the so-called draco (meaning dragon in Latin), the mythical half wolf, half serpent war standard of the ancient Dacians, once inhabiting the present-day territory of Romania. See my previous post on DIY leather project HERE.
The first step is to cut strips of sturdier leather, the size of the intended bookmarks, and to cut-out the draco shape out of thinner leather, after marking its contours with special marker on the back of the leather, following a cardboard model. The decorative effect of the draco is obtained through punching holes that suggest its eye and body straps.
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| Cut-out draco shapes |
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| Bookmark-shaped rectangle leather pieces and punched-out draco leather shapes |
Then, glue the back of the draco (or other) decorative shape with leather glue applied with a brush onto the base trips. Be careful not to put too much glue on the edges, as the surplus might come out while pressing the two elements together. Leather glue dries fairly fast, so not much pressing is needed.
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| Apply glue to the back of the draco shape |
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| Gently press the model onto the base strip of leather |
The final step is optional and purely decorative. I find the strict rectangular contours of the bookmarks not so pleasing, so I add some asymmetry by cutting out its corners and creating V-shaped indentations, of various sizes, throughout the long sides. They are randomly placed and sized, so just follow your instincts. Thus, no two bookmarks shall be identical!
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| Finishing touches - cutting off the corners |
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| Creating V-shapes indentations along the long sides of the leather bookmarks |
And so the draco leather bookmarks are ready to be used! See other color combinations on my website HERE.
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| Handmade leather bookmark inspired by the ancient Dacian civilization, by Atelierul de istorie |
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