I don't know about you, but I don't want to invest my time, money, and skill in a beautiful stitched bookmark only to hide it away inside a book. I want my needlework visible even while the bookmark is doing its job.

Shepherd's hooks and ribbons are the answer.

This is what I call a "shepherd's hook." It's sometimes called a "shepherd's crook," "bookmark form," or "bookmark blank."

The Read-It, Read-It bookmark is finished as a fob using a pulled backstitch that is whipped together, with a bead on each whip stitch. Detailed instructions for finishing a fob this way are provided here. Note: the Read-It, Read-It fob model stops before the final "arthroscopic stitchery" step.

The completed fob is attached to the shepherd's hook with a split ring. The hook marks your place in the book while the fob dangles over the spine, visible to the world.

Now, we'll finish a bookmark with an alternative method, using ribbon instead of a shepherd's hook. You can simply substitute ribbon for the hook in the fob method, but here we'll use a stitched piece of needlework, 2 12-inch lengths of grosgrain ribbon in different widths, Weeks Dye Works wool felt, Fabri-Tac permanent adhesive from Beacon Adhesives, and a roller-cutter with a zig-zag edge.

Trim needlework around stitched area. Fray edges if desired.

Align ribbons, narrow one on top. Glue one end together.

Glue around edge of needlework.

Center glued end of ribbon on one side, and adhere needlework to felt so that felt extends beyond edge of needlework on all sides.

Trim felt with zig-zag cutter or scissors about 1/4-inch beyond needlework.

Allow to dry.

Now you have a bookmark that can mark two pages!