Establishing a love of reading can be tricky sometimes. Children who would rather run around and be active physically may not see the "fun" in exploring through a story... at first. The key is to choose books that speaks specifically to their interest and personality. Allow them to select which books stand out to them - superheroes, all things locomotives, comedies, comics, holiday themed, etc. As they become excited about what they're reading, they'll want to do it more! Go a step further in encouraging reading by doing this easy bookmark craft for kids!

The pride in their creation and ownership of this new skill will have them smiling from ear to ear! These personalized bookmarks are also perfect for students of all ages, especially during the school season. So it might be a good idea to make more than one! 

For a few ideas, check out our bookmarks. 

• Tools:

• Poster board or cardboard
• Packing tape
• Stickers
• Hole puncher
• Yarn
• Beads

• Getting Started:

• Take the poster board or cardboard and cut it to the size you'd like your bookmark to be
• Cover the board with stickers to create your design
• Pull a strip of packing tape off and cover the stickers, smoothing out any air bubbles
• Cut and trim off any excess tape
• Punch a hole at the top and push the yarn through (putting a piece of tape around the ends of the yarn helps a lot)
• Pull the two pieces of yarn together, tie a knot, then pinch the yarn tightly and begin to string on your beads
• Make a knot at the end to secure the beads in place
• You can single knot it, double knot it, tie a knot around the last bead, or choose not use beads at all (look below for examples)
• Place inside the latest book you're reading!

• Tips:

• Magazines, glitter glue, painting, or creating your own drawings are also great options
• Try using the overlapping technique for a collage effect
• Make multiple bookmarks to use and share!

Like what you've read, so far? There's more!