Bookbands

Not a fan of dangling bookmarks? Fine. You can still craft hand-stitched bookmarks that mark a place in the book and keep the needlework outside the book where it’s visible. What is this marvel of modern stitchery? The bookband.

• 
  

  Embroidery + Elastic = Bookband

  Turn just about any bit of finished needlework into a bookband by adding elastic cord to make a loop. I used a Funk & Weber Designs Embroider Me! bracelet that was awaiting beads and a clasp and a recycled 1/16″ gold cord, probably off of a gift package.

  Use a giant tapestry needle to open two holes on either end of the bracelet. Make the holes large enough so that you don’t need to thread the 1/16″ cord onto a needle, but can hand-feed it through the holes. I used my yarn-sized tapestry needle.

  The loop, needlework plus cord, is about 16″ in diameter. I’d go smaller for mass market adult books.

• 
  

  Secure Cord

  I found the elastic cord didn’t knot very well, so I tightly wrapped the cut end to the loop with some of the size 8 pearl cotton I used on the bracelet.

  If you’re a beader, you might use a large crimp bead or tube or use wire to wrap the two legs of the cord together.

  I dabbed glue on the cut ends of the cord to keep the metallic gold covering from fraying.

• 
  

  Front and Back

  Because we finish the back sides of our bracelets with pretty stitching, the bookband becomes more or less reversible. Cool, eh?

• 
  

  Ta Da!

  The elastic band marks the page while the needlework remains snug against the cover, visible but not dangling.