Make a collage bookmark. It's a great gift for elders or just for your self.

Stuff You’ll Need:

Photos or magazine pictures to cut up
Clear contact paper (or clear packing tape!)
Thick colored paper or poster board
Ruler
Glue stick
Scissors
Hole punch
Ribbon or yarn
Stickers (optional)
Glitter (optional)
Markers (optional)

1. Cut a piece of poster board or thick paper into a long, narrow rectangle. 8 inches high by 2 inches wide works well.

2. Decide what parts of your photographs or magazine pages you’d like to use in your collage, keeping in mind the dimensions of your bookmark. Cut out those pieces and lay them out where you can see them well.

3. Using a glue stick, glue the picture pieces onto the paper. Try overlapping pictures and placing them at different angles. If you want, add decoration to your bookmark using stickers, glitter or hand drawings with markers.

4. When you are done decorating the bookmark, cut out two pieces of contact paper, each a quarter inch bigger than the bookmark. Make the two pieces the same size.

5. Peel the backing off of one piece and lay it sticky side up on the table. Lay the collage (front) side of your bookmark on the sticky side of the contact paper. Make sure that the bookmark is entirely covered by the contact paper. Turn the bookmark over and smooth the contact paper over your collage to remove air bubbles and wrinkles.

6. Peel the second piece of contact paper and cover the back of the bookmark with it, sticky side down, as shown. Make sure to line up the edges with the first piece of contact paper. Smooth the contact paper to remove any air bubbles or wrinkles.

7. When the contact paper is completely covering the bookmark on both sides, trim the edges with scissors, leaving just a little bit of contact paper overhanging the bookmark paper.

8. Punch a hole through the top center of the bookmark and add a ribbon or yarn to decorate the top of the bookmark. This addition will make the bookmark harder to lose inside a book!

9. Now get reading!