How to Sew a Felt Bookmark by Hand
A few small stitches can turn a scrap of felt into something you’ll use every time you open a book. This felt bookmark tutorial uses two simple rectangles, a paper template, and a running stitch—an approachable combination for your first sewing project. Add a little felt heart or a stitched initial, or let a contrasting thread provide all the decoration.
Felt is useful for hand sewing for beginners because its cut edges do not need hemming. You’ll leave those edges visible, so there’s no turning the bookmark inside out or closing a hidden opening.
Gather your supplies
You’ll need:
- Thin craft felt, approximately 1 mm thick, enough for two rectangles measuring 15 × 4 cm each
- A small felt scrap in another color for an optional decoration
- Embroidery floss
- A sharp embroidery needle with an eye large enough for your thread
- Scissors
- Paper, a ruler, and a pencil
- A printer if you want to print the template
- Sewing clips or pins to hold the layers together
Choose felt that bends easily. Two layers of thick, stiff felt can make an uncomfortable lump between book pages.
Matching thread makes small variations in your stitches less noticeable. Contrasting thread makes the dashed border part of the design.
1. Print and check the shape template
The bookmark is a plain rectangle measuring 15 × 4 cm, approximately 6 × 1.6 inches. Use the same paper pattern to cut both felt pieces.
Print the outline below as a cutting guide. Its printed size depends on your browser and printer settings, so measure both sides before cutting. Adjust the print scale if needed; if the proportions change, draw a rectangle on paper using the measurements above.
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RECTANGLE TEMPLATE
Finished size: 15 × 4 cm
Cut 2 from thin felt
Cut out the paper rectangle. Place it on your felt, hold it still, and trace lightly around it. Cut just inside the pencil line so the marks stay on the offcuts.
Repeat for the second piece, then stack the rectangles to check that their edges match. Trim any small differences now. No extra seam allowance is needed: you’ll sew a short distance inside the cut edges.
2. Thread the needle and secure the thread
Cut about 45 cm, or 18 inches, of embroidery floss. A manageable length is easier to control than a long piece that keeps tangling.
Most embroidery floss contains six individual strands. Use two strands together for this project:
- Separate one strand from the cut length by pulling it out slowly while holding the remaining bundle.
- Remove a second strand the same way.
- Lay those two strands together and smooth them between your fingers.
Trim the ends evenly and pass both strands through the needle’s eye. Pull about 5–8 cm through to form a short, loose tail. Leave that tail unknotted.
Tie a small knot near the opposite, longer end of the thread. If the knot slips through your felt during a test stitch, tie another knot directly over it.
As you sew, hold the needle near its eye to help prevent the short tail from slipping out.
3. Add a simple decoration to the front
Decorate one rectangle before joining the layers. This keeps the knots and thread on the back of the decoration hidden inside the finished bookmark.
A small heart is an easy option. Fold a scrap of paper in half, draw half a heart against the fold, and cut it out. Open the paper, trace the shape onto contrasting felt, and cut out a heart approximately 2 cm wide.
Position it near the top of your front rectangle, leaving at least 5 mm between the decoration and the bookmark’s outer edges.
Sew on the heart with running stitch
The running stitch creates a dashed line by passing the needle in and out of the fabric.
Bring your needle up from the back of the front rectangle, passing through the heart close to its edge. Pull gently until the knot rests against the back.
Push the needle down through the heart and rectangle about 2–3 mm farther along. Bring it up another 2–3 mm ahead. Continue around the heart, taking one stitch at a time.
Pull each stitch just until it lies flat. Tight thread can make the heart curl.
To finish, slide the needle under a stitch on the back, leaving a small loop. Pass the needle through that loop and tighten gently. Repeat once, then trim the thread, leaving a short tail.
For an even simpler decoration, sew three small crosses or a single initial onto the front rectangle.
4. Join the two felt pieces
Place the rectangles together with the decorated side facing outward. The knots behind your decoration should sit between the layers.
Match the edges and hold them with two or three sewing clips. If using pins, remove them as you reach each one.
Thread your needle again and knot the long end.
Hide the starting knot
Near a corner, separate the layers slightly. Insert the needle from between them and bring it out through the front layer, approximately 3 mm from the edge. The knot will stay hidden inside.
Make your next stitch down through both layers, then bring the needle back up through both layers a little farther along.
Sew around the border
Continue with running stitch around all four sides:
- Keep the stitch line about 3 mm inside the edge.
- Aim for stitches and gaps approximately 2–3 mm long.
- Check the back occasionally to make sure every stitch catches both layers.
- Smooth the bookmark as you work so the felt stays flat.
At each corner, take a shorter stitch if necessary to change direction neatly. Slightly uneven stitches are fine; catching both layers and keeping gentle tension matter more.
Sew the entire border closed. The bookmark stays flat and does not need stuffing.
5. Finish and hide the thread
When you return to your starting point, bring the needle to the back.
Slide it under a nearby stitch without piercing the felt. Leave a loop, pass the needle through it, and pull gently to make a knot. Repeat once to secure it.
To hide the tail, slide the needle between the felt layers for about 1–2 cm, then bring it out through the back. Pull the thread through and snip it close to the surface without cutting the felt. The end should settle inside.
If you run short of thread before finishing the border, stop while roughly 10 cm remains. Secure and hide that end, then start a new length with its knot between the layers.
Small fixes that make sewing easier
The felt puckers. Loosen the most recent stitches with your needle and smooth the fabric. Pull only until the thread rests against the felt.
The thread forms loops or tangles. Let the needle hang freely for a moment so the thread can untwist. Check for knots before pulling further.
The layers slip apart. Add another clip near your working area and take smaller stitches.
The needle is difficult to push through. Check that you’re using a sharp needle with thread that fits its eye comfortably. Very thick felt can also make stitching harder.
Once the border is finished, remove every pin or clip and check for loose thread. Slip the bookmark between a few pages to check that it lies comfortably flat. For future easy felt crafts, you can reuse the same template and change just one detail: a new color pairing, a tiny leaf, or a friend’s initial.