Que Sera Sara?

So, Homemade Christmas:

It involved many adventures and even some failures.

Seriously.

Worst. Jam. Ever.

But, at least you can take heart knowing if I can do it, these must be the simplest projects on the face of the earth.

Coordinated I am not. Skilled I am not. But full of love I unabashedly am.

And so, for voracious readers, we created handmade bookmarks – mostly from old jewellery.

Mostly, the fobs were crafted from old jewellery – brooches, earrings, the odd necklace.

Some were thrift store finds. You should have seen that giant pearl in tact. I wish I had taken a picture. Imagine a fist-sized fabric rose, totally stained and drooping, with two of those mothers dangling from beneath off of a rusty clasp. It was creepy in that way china dolls and old clowns can be. I like to think I saved it from a terrible existence. Like the Oliver Twist of faux pears.

Other pieces were from my own forlorn jewellery box. I hardly ever wear jewellery and when I do, it’s the same five things [total fashion faux pas], so I thought they could do with some loving homes and a new lease on life. Besides, shiny silver Dreamcatchers dangling from your lobes can be hard to pull off when you’re approaching 30. Trust me.

I bought some other odds and ends too. I found some funny brass keys, a little bird ornament, and blown glass leaves in hobby shops which worked wonders.

You really could use anything though.

I had wanted to make some less delicate ones – possibly with pieces of hardware or Lego men on the ends, but I didn’t get the chance.

I hope the ladies benefiting from the gifts are cool with faintly Victorian delicacies.

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To make your own, all you need is:

I.       A piece of ribbon the length you desire – I used mostly velvet as it feels nice and is slightly sturdier than just satin.

II.     A ribbon clamp for each end – you can order them online, but my local bead store had a better selection of finishes so I could match them to the beadwork.

III.   Some jewellery fasteners – I just had a couple of hoops and rings, also from the jewellery store. They cost about 5p each.

IV.   Pliers

V.    A hairpin or paperclip and a tiny pair of tweezers are helpful, but not strictly necessary.

VI.  Any jewellery, beads or decorative objects you want on the ends.

[it was too dark for decent photos. soz.]

Step 1:

If you’re using vintage things, they make take some disassembling. Keep the joining hoops in tact if you can.

I totally chopped those dreamcatchers to bits and used the dangly bits for several different projects. Score!

Step 2:

Using a jewellery ring, or whatever connecting fasteners your are using, string your fob and your clamp together.

Step 3:

Fold the top edge of your bookmark down so the clamp has something to cling to [you may want to swipe the edge with clear nail polish to keep it from fraying]

OR

Since I was cinching the ends for some [I couldn’t get clamps as wide as my ribbon in some finishes], I’d fold the sides of the ribbon in to meet, like I was making a paper airplane.

Then I’d paperclip or hairpin it in place, with the ribbon making a point at the end.

Then, I’d fold this point over to make a narrower endpoint for the clamp to attach to.

Step 4:

Place the clamp over your fold. If your ribbon is only finished on one side, make sure the front of your fob matches up.

Press the clamp ends together over the ribbon using pliers, being careful not to scratch the surface of your clamp. Pinch the side of the clamp closed if it feels loose, like the ribbon could slide out sideways.

Step 5:

Repeat steps 2 -4 for the other end of the ribbon.

~~~~~~~~~

And voila! Your very own bookmark.

Best project ever? No.

Best photography ever? Definitely not.

But it was fun. And I think they turned out okay, as long as you don’t look too closely.

And that, my friends, is what I call victory.