Practice Handwriting and Make a Fun Crayon Bookmark!
Here is another fun craft for the little ones, just in time for back-to-school! These crayon bookmarks and fun to cut out and color and with a dotted-print name in large type (editable in Canva) kids are able to have fun practicing their handwriting skills and have a lovely personalized bookmark to use when they’re done!
This makes a great rainy day activity – kids can complete their bookmark and then put it to use curling up with a cozy book. Or use in the classroom as a ‘welcome to school’ activity where kids can color in their bookmarks with their favorite colors, practice writing their name and then teachers could organize a simple grouping activity using the first letter of each name (‘How many students do we have with a name that starts with ‘A’?) or using the number of letters in each student’s name (‘How many students do we have with names with 5 letters, 4 letters, etc.?’).
Good for: Preschoolers, Kindergarten, Classroom activities
Time: 30-40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Skills: Cutting, coloring, printing, fine motor skills
What You’ll Need
- Printable template (Editable in Canva)
- Cardstock
- Printer
- Scissors
- Yarn in various colors
- Hole Punch
- Crayons
Edit Template in Canva then Print!
Once you’ve received the PDF with the template link, you’re all set to start editing the names in Canva.
You can also resize each crayon if you’d like to make a smaller bookmark. Keep in mind that the smaller the bookmark, the harder it will be for little ones to practice their name writing – going a little smaller should work just fine though! As they are in the template, each bookmark prints at about 7.5 x 2.5 inches.
Cutting Out with Cricut or other Die-Cutting Machines
If you’d like to save time and cut out the crayon bookmarks with a Cricut or other cutting machine, make sure to export the file as a PNG and select ‘transparent background’ when exporting from Canva. You can then upload your PNG to Cricut and cut out using the ‘Print then Cut’ feature.
How to Make the Crayon Bookmark Craft
- Access and edit the Crayon Bookmark template in Canva. Export from Canva either as a PDF or PNG file and print it.
2. Cut out yourself or help your kids/students cut out their bookmarks using child safety scissors.
3. Have kids start coloring in their bookmarks using crayons, markers or colored pencils with their favorite colors!
4. Once they’ve colored in their bookmarks, have them practice writing their name following the dotted letters.
5. Using a hole punch, punch a hole in the top end of the bookmark.
6. Have kids pick out some yarn that they like to use for a tassel.
7. Have kids cut 3 strands of yarn 7-8 inches long.
8. Pull the strands together and form a ‘U’ shape with them.
9. With the looped end, pull the yarn halfway through the hole in the top of the bookmark, from front to back.
10. Slide the loose ends of the yarn through the loop you just made to form a tassel.
11. Pull the yarn snug again the bookmark to secure the tassel.
12. Trim the ends of the yarn to even them up.
Voila! Your cute personalized Crayon Bookmark is complete and ready for use!
Now find a cozy storybook to curl up with and mark your page in style!
I hope your little makers have so much fun creating their own personalized Crayon Bookmarks! Don’t forget to save this craft to Pinterest so you know where to find it next time you’re looking for an easy kids’ activity!
Tips for Doing the Crayon Bookmark Craft
- It’s best to use a medium or heavier cardstock for this craft for durability
- Bookmarks can be laminated before putting the tassel on to make them even more durable
- Little ones may need help with cutting out their bookmarks or you can precut them if you just want to focus on the coloring and name-writing practice
- Extend the activity by turning it into a classroom game – please see the first paragraph of this post for a couple ideas!
Ideas for Using Crayon Bookmarks
Here are a few ideas for using the finished crayon bookmarks…
Classroom decoration – finished bookmarks could be hung together with each student’s photo students can start to identify one another’s names and match faces to names.
Bulletin Board – finished bookmarks would look adorable across a classroom or hallway bulletin board!
Desk or Locker/Cubby ID – these would work well (perhaps minus the tassel) taped to each student’s desk to help little ones find where they’re supposed to be.
Gift Tags – these would make a cute handmade gift tag for little ones to give their friends!
Loot Bag Tags – kids could make one of these for each of their party guests, either colored in or left as an activity for the recipient.
Learning Benefits of Crayon Bookmark Craft
Kids can learn so much by getting creative and doing a step-by-step craft!
- Fine motor skills – coloring, cutting, hole-punching, and tying the yarn all help develop hand and finger coordination.
- Name-writing practice – tracing their name with the dotted template gives children a fun, purposeful way to practice letter formation.
- Letter recognition – writing their name reinforces familiarity with the letters and their order.
- Creativity and self-expression – children can choose their own colors and decorate their bookmark in their own style.
- Independence and confidence – making something they can actually use can give children a sense of accomplishment and ownership.
- Early literacy connection – a personalized bookmark creates a positive connection between crafting and reading.
- Following directions – completing the project encourages children to follow a sequence of simple steps.
Crayon Bookmark Craft for Kids with Name Writing Practice
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Looking for Another Fun Back-to-School Kids Activity?
Try our Free Printable All About Me Crown! It’s a fun activity for kids to do in the first days back at school, or one Merry Little Makers reader used it as a special activity for each of her students to do on their birthdays – such a sweet idea!
