DIY Monster Bookmarks (Easy Paper Craft for Kids)

A monster bookmark like this is exactly the kind of thing that makes a kid actually want to open their book bag. You’ll turn a handful of colored craft paper into five snaggle-toothed monster bookmarks with nothing but scissors, glue, and markers, in about half an hour.

These bookmarks are No. 6 in A Craft for Everyone Heading Back to School, our nine-project collection built around the three people a new school year is really about: the teacher setting up the room, the student walking in, and the parent sending them off. They follow the school bus photo frame, closing out Act 2’s student-facing trio.

Make a whole set and let the kids pick their favorite before the first day back, or browse the rest of the back to school collection for more.

List of Supplies:

• Colored craft papers
• Pencil
• A pair of scissors
• Craft glue
• Markers

Instructions:

Step 1: Preparing the Patterns

Select different fun and bright colored craft papers for the cute monster hug bookmarks. Use white paper for the eye bases and colors of your choice for the rest of the patterns. Trace the patterns on the selected colored craft papers, and cut out the traced patterns with a pair of scissors.

Step 2: Select Patterns for a Monster

You can mix and match the parts to make your monster. I’ve glued 2 horns to the top side of a monster base and selected zigzag teeth for it. Draw eyes on the eye base cutouts with a marker.

Step 3: Glue the Teeth Cutout

Glue the zigzag teeth cutout to the base, near the top part. Make sure to keep enough space above the teeth for the eyes.

Step 4: Glue the Eyes

Glue the eyes to the base, above the teeth.

Step 5: Glue Arm Cutouts to the Side

Apply a short line of glue along the left and right sides of the base to join the arms. Join the outer side of the arm to the glued part and keeping the round end of the arm inside the base.

Step 6: Glue Both Arms

Glue the 2 arms on both sides of the base by gluing them along the sides only. Trim extra edges of the attached arms and align them with the base outline.

Step 7: Let’s Craft another Monster

For the second monster, I’ve selected a mouth, small zigzag teeth, and a head-scale. Glue the head-scale to the top side of the base cutout and glue the teeth cutout to the mouth cutout. Draw eyes on the eye base cutouts.

Step 8: Glue the Eyes

Glue the eyes to the top part of the base.

Step 9: Glue the Mouth

Glue the mouth pattern on the base, below the eyes.

Step 10: Attach the Arms

Glue the 2 arms on both sides of the base by gluing them along the sides only, like we did for the previous monster.

Step 11: Add Outlines

Use markers to draw outlines to the base and arms of the paper monsters. This will give them a nice and finished look.

Step 12: Use Them as Bookmarks

To use the paper monsters as bookmarks, simply insert a page under their arms.