Create your very own colourful foil art bookmarks! This month's Little Makers kit combines painting, colour mixing, foil and a few lovely finishing touches to create four unique wooden bookmarks.

You'll learn how to mix your own paint shades, create an ombre effect, design with foil and add beads and tassels to finish your bookmarks.

Take your time with this project and remember — your designs don't need to look like anyone else's. You can experiment with colours, patterns, shapes and words to make your bookmarks completely your own!

What's in your kit?

• Nine pieces of foil
• Three colours of paint
• Paint brush
• Glue pen
• Beads
• Tassels
• Wooden bookmarks
• PVA glue

You'll also need

• A clean surface to work on
• Scissors
• A jar or glass of clean water
• A container for mixing your paints
• An adult to help if you need it

🎥 Watch the Video Tutorial

September's Little Makers Kit: Foil Art Bookmarks Tutorial

Step 1: Get your workspace ready

Find a nice clean, flat surface to work on.

You'll need your wooden bookmarks, paints, paint brush, something to mix your paints in and a jar of clean water.

It's a good idea to protect your work surface, especially when you're painting and using glue.

Step 2: Mix your paint colours

This is where you can get creative!

You can mix your paints to create different shades and colours for your bookmarks.

For example, you can mix red and white together to create different shades of pink.

Start by putting a small amount of your red paint into your mixing container. Remember to clean your brush before using it with another colour so you don't accidentally mix the paint pots together.

Add a little white paint to your red and mix it together.

Keep adding small amounts of white until you reach the shade of pink you like.

You can make it bright and bold, soft and pale — it's completely up to you!

Remember to close your paint pots between uses so the paint doesn't dry out.

Step 3: Create your ombre effect

An ombre is a gradual change from one colour to another — usually from dark to light.

We're going to create an ombre effect by painting different shades down the length of your bookmark.

Start at the top of the bookmark with your darkest shade.

Paint a band of colour across the bookmark. You can paint the sides too if you'd like, but this is optional.

Next, add some white paint to your colour to make a slightly lighter shade.

Paint another band just below the first one.

Keep adding a little more white to your colour and painting another band underneath until you've worked your way down the bookmark.

You can make as many or as few bands as you'd like.

Step 4: Blend your colours

Now it's time to soften the lines between your colours.

Using your paint brush, gently brush across the line where two colours meet.

Brush up and down and from side to side to help blend the colours together.

Take your time and keep gently brushing until you're happy with your ombre effect.

You can experiment with different colour combinations too. You might choose different shades of the same colour, or try something completely different.

Step 5: Let your bookmarks dry

Before moving on, your painted bookmarks need to be completely dry.

This can take around 10–30 minutes, depending on how much paint you've used.

Give your bookmark a gentle touch to check that it's dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 6: Seal your bookmarks

Now we're going to seal the painted surface using your PVA glue.

Add a small amount of PVA glue to your mixing container, along with just a tiny amount of water.

Mix them together until the glue is smooth and slightly thinner. This creates a mixture similar to Mod Podge.

Once your painted bookmarks are completely dry, use your clean paint brush to paint a good coat of the glue mixture over the bookmark.

Make sure you cover the whole surface right up to the edges.

This sealed surface will help your foil designs create nice, crisp lines.

Step 7: Let the seal dry

Your bookmarks need to dry completely again before you start working with the foil.

This may take around 30 minutes to an hour.

Use the touch test to check.

Your bookmark should feel completely dry and should no longer be shiny or sticky.

This is important! If the surface is still wet or tacky, the foil may stick to the whole bookmark instead of just following your design.

Step 8: Choose your foil designs

Now comes the fun part!

Take your glue pen, scissors and foil.

Before you start drawing with the glue, decide what designs you'd like to make and which colours of foil you want to use.

You could try:

• 🌿 A vine of leaves
• 🌀 Squiggles
• 🌸 Mandala-style patterns
• 📖 The word "READ"
• ✨ Your own shapes and patterns

The foil is very thin, so handle it gently as it can tear easily.

Step 9: Prepare your foil

Use your scissors to cut the foil into smaller strips.

This makes it easier to handle when you're creating your designs.

When you're ready to use a piece of foil, peel away the front paper layer, keeping the backing layer in place for now.

Keeping the backing on will make the foil easier to handle without it sticking to your fingers.

Step 10: Draw your design with the glue pen

Remove the little nib from your glue pen.

Using gentle pressure, draw your design onto your dry, sealed bookmark.

You don't need to press hard.

For example, you could start at the bottom and draw a winding line up the bookmark to create a vine. Then add little leaves along the sides.

When adding smaller details, use lighter pressure so you don't put too much glue down.

Try not to use too much glue. You need enough to make your design, but too much glue can make it harder for the foil to create a neat pattern.

The glue will stay wet for a little while, so you don't need to rush — but have your foil ready before the glue dries completely.

Step 11: Add your foil

Once you've finished your glue design, it's time to add the foil.

Place your foil over the wet glue, with the foil side facing down onto the bookmark.

You can use several colours together to create an ombre effect if you'd like.

Gently lay the foil onto the glue.

Don't press too hard, as this can squash the glue underneath and affect your design.

Instead, lightly tap the foil around the areas where you've drawn your glue design.

You can also give the foil a gentle blow to help press it down onto the glue.

Have fun creating different designs on all four of your bookmarks!

Step 12: Leave the foil to dry

Once you've applied your foil, leave your bookmark to dry.

It's a good idea to leave it for around an hour to make sure the glue underneath is completely dry.

Don't start brushing away the excess foil until the glue has dried.

Step 13: Brush away the excess foil

Once everything is completely dry, it's time to reveal your design!

Take your clean, dry paint brush and very gently brush away the excess foil.

Use a light touch.

If you press too hard, you could push the foil into the wood and change the shape of your design.

If your brush seems to stick to the bookmark, stop and give it more time to dry.

Keep gently tapping, brushing and wiping until all the excess foil has been removed.

Make sure your brush stays completely dry, as moisture can make the foil stick.

Step 14: Add your beads and tassel

Now it's time for the finishing touch!

Choose two beads and one tassel.

Thread the beads through the loop on your tassel.

Then feed the loop through the hole in your wooden bookmark.

Once the loop is through the bookmark, pass the beads and the other end of the tassel through the loop.

Give it a gentle tug to secure everything in place.

Ask an adult for help if you need it.

Step 15: Create your other bookmarks

Now repeat the process to decorate your remaining bookmarks.

Try experimenting with different designs and colour combinations.

You could make:

• A colourful ombre bookmark
• A leafy nature-inspired design
• A bookmark covered in squiggles
• A bookmark with your name or a favourite word

There are no rules — have fun and make them your own!

📚✨ Your Foil Art Bookmarks are finished!

Amazing work, Little Maker!

You've created four colourful handmade bookmarks using paint, foil, beads and tassels.

Your bookmarks are perfect for:

• 📖 Keeping your place in your favourite books
• 🎁 Giving as handmade gifts to friends or family
• ✨ Decorating your favourite reading books
• 🎨 Showing off your own creative designs

Every Little Maker's bookmarks will look different, so don't worry about making them perfect. Your designs are what make them special!

We'd love to see your finished creations. Ask a grown-up to take a photo and share it with the Craftiosity community or send it to us by email.

Happy crafting! 💛

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