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These Felt Bookmarks will be the envy of classmates this school year. Not only do they hold a pen or two, they are banded bookmarks that never fall out of your book or planner. They're fantastic for students who never want to lose a pen. Attach one to a planner to keep the day's place. See how simple it is to make these fun DIY bookmarks below.

My kids always manage to lose a pen here and there. But, I'm here to change that this school year with these nifty (banded) pen-holder bookmarks. They are a beginner-level sewing project that can be created in less than 10 minutes. This is also a great craft project to get the kids in on. Plus, they make great gifts for teachers, for back-to-school or Teacher Appreciation Week. Well, and outside of the classroom, these can certain hold your place in any good book (one that you might want to highlight or jot down a note inside). See how to create these simple bookmarks below.

Pen-Holder Felt Bookmarks

I post a lot of printable bookmarks here on I Should Be Mopping the Floor, but this bookmark craft may be my all-time favorite bookmark (and it's not even of the printable variety). Its double-functionality is something that makes my heart go pitter-patter. Once your cute bookmark is securely holding your place in your book or planner, slide your favorite pen inside it for safe keeping.

Pens for Your Bookmark

I wanted to share these pens not only as the instruments to put inside your creations, but they are my favorite sewing pens of all time. I've talked about these pens on here before (I use them for sewing and embroidery because of their magic powers). But, my kids love them for school...because they're erasable (even on fabric).

FriXion Pens from Pilot Pen are my longtime sewing companion (you'll see why in the below series of photos). I use them to mark patterns as well as trace out embroidery designs (as you can see in my Apple Hoop Art for Teachers). They're really awesome for quilted projects, too, (I showcased them in my quilted table runner tutorial).

Besides sewing and embroidery, these are just all around great fine tip pens (my kids love them, especially all of the different colors that are available).

Purchase the FriXion Clicker Pens here on Amazon (these are the ones I use for sewing).
Purchase the new FriXion Highlighters here on Amazon (they erase!).

In today's tutorial for felt bookmarks, I use the FriXion Pens to mark start and stop intervals on my felt and elastic pieces. And the magic? These pens erase with the steam of my iron once my stitches are in place. Amazing. Check out above how my iron erased the ink clean off of the felt in the above photos (and that's felt, y'all...imagine how clean it comes off of cottons and linens).

Supplies for Pen-Holder Bookmarks

12" squares of stiff felt (stiffer felt holds its shape better in this project)

This is a great chance to use up felt scraps, if you have them.
These are also available at any craft store or, grab a 40-pack of stiff felt squares here on Amazon.

coordinating thread
knit elastic (I used the following size; this is total preference, but the 3/4" knit elastic is a bit easier to take on and off of a book or binder)

3/4" x 3 yards

standard sewing supplies:

pins
sewing machine
iron/ironing board
scissors
ruler (a quilter's ruler works well for this)
FriXion Pens

How to Make Pen-Holder Bookmarks

Based on the book you'll be using your bookmark with, measure your length of elastic (as pictured above).

For our planners, we used 20" of elastic.

Wrap your elastic around your planner and allow for a 3-4" overlap. Mark your overlap and pin in place.

You'll be sewing the elastic into one continuous circle, sewing on the overlapped part of the elastic.
I sew a rectangle on the overlapped part with a bit less than a 1/4" seam allowance.
Use a basic stitch for this and a small backstitch at the start and stop of your rectangle.

You'll cut your felt strip(s) next. This is where the 12x12" size square of felt really comes in handy.
Your strip for one bookmark is 12" by 1 1/4".
Fold the cut strip (pictured above right) with a 2" flap at the top. Iron the fold so it holds until you sew the piece together.

It's helpful to mark where the 2" spot is on your strip of felt (as pictured above).
You'll be able to erase the mark with the steam of your iron later (when you use the FriXion pens).

Have your sewn elastic strip ready to go (you can see the rectangle I sewed on it to attach it to itself in figure 1).
Have your marked felt strip ready.
Lay your felt strip onto your elastic piece over the overlapped part (this will hide the overlap a bit).
Sew the felt to the elastic strip using a basic stitch and starting and stopping with a small backstitch. Again, sew a rectangle (pictured in step 3) to attach the two pieces. You will do this with the felt opened up (you're sewing on the "inside" of the pen's pocket on the bookmark). Be careful not to sew above the area where the bookmark's front flap will lay.
Close the front flap of the bookmark over the area you just stitched (step 4, above).
Sew a continuous stitch around the perimeter of the bookmark (be careful not to sew it shut, though). See how I did this in step 4 (I used pink dash marks to illustrate where to sew). Start and stop with a small backstitch and use a basic stitch.

Once you're done, slip your bookmark onto your planner or book and insert your pen.

Looking for More Fun Bookmark Ideas?

These handmade bookmarks over at Tatertots and Jello are super cute and a great alternative if you don't sew.
And these Origami Bookmarks from Madison Home are seriously adorable.

How to Make Pen-Holder Felt Bookmarks