If you’re a reader looking for a quick project or need an easy DIY for the book lover in your life, check out this simple polymer clay bookmark tutorial!

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I love looking for new art projects – especially when I can use materials I already have in unique ways. I would never have thought about making clay bookmarks on my own, but I came across a video online showing off some lovely clay bookmarks and thought, “I can make that!”.

And guess what? You can absolutely make these gorgeous clay bookmarks too!

Click here to skip ahead to the supplies list and directions.

What is polymer clay?

Polymer clay is a synthetic, oven-bake modeling clay made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a type of plastic. Because polymer clay is plastic, it is insanely durable once properly cured. It can be dropped, and it won’t break. If it needs cleaning, it can be washed with soap and water. Polymer clay is one of my favorite art mediums.

There is some variation between brands when it comes to quality and ease of use. I prefer Sculpey Premo, as I find it works best for me. But if you’re new to clay, play around with it and see what works for you! There are multiple brands of Sculpey (Premo, III, and Souffle), as well as Fimo and Craft Smart (which I believe is a Michaels exclusive brand), just to name a few. You can also occasionally find polymer clay at Dollar Tree. I have some, but haven’t used it yet, so I can’t speak to the quality. Why don’t you give it a try?

Is polymer clay expensive?

No, not really. It depends on how much you need. One 2 oz package of Sculpey Premo at Michaels (USA) is around $3 USD (as of November 2024, anyway). Shop sales—Michaels often has a coupon for 20-50% off one item. And sometimes, they run clay-specific sales like buy 2, get 1 free.

For this project, I used approximately (I don’t measure it) 1/4 block of blue, 1/8 or so of a block of yellow, a tiny bit of orange, and less than a 1/8 of white. Each block of clay tends to last me quite a long time because I make one small project at a time. To get the most out of your clay, make sure you’re storing whatever you don’t use in an air-tight container!

Wouldn’t a clay bookmark be too thick?

No! At least, it doesn’t have to be! Clay can be rolled quite thin and still be incredibly strong after it’s been properly baked. Play around with the clay and find a thickness that works for you.

What can I do with a polymer clay bookmark?

You can, of course, use it yourself! But these bookmarks are also great gifts. Give them out to teachers, librarians, EAs, readers, or to your book club friends! You can throw them into larger gifts to add a handmade touch or put them in stocking stuffers or loot bags. Or make them and leave them out for people to find! For more on this idea, check out my post, Making Art to Give Away – The Case for “Random Acts of Handmade”.

Let’s make a polymer clay bookmark!

Let’s get crafty! But first, let’s see what you’ll need.

To make a polymer clay bookmark, you’ll need:

• Polymer Clay: Sculpey Premo is my go-to for all my polymer clay projects these days. (Check out this multi-color set from Amazon!) You can use any polymer clay you want; just make sure that it’s polymer clay, not modeling clay.
• (Optional) Bookmark Clay Cutter: I used this bookmark clay cutter, which I ordered from VeeClayDesignShop. They have a few other options as well. But you don’t have to use a cutter if you don’t want to make a special purchase for this project; you can also just cut a rectangle out of clay!
• (Optional) Other Clay Cutters: For this project, I used a bee cutter and a honeycomb cutter. I also used some flower and leaf cutters. Use whatever cutters you have on hand to make a unique design!
• Clay Roller: You’ll need a way to roll out your clay. I prefer using a clay rolling machine like this one, but you can also use acrylic rollers like these and measurement guides like these.
• (Optional) Glaze or Varnish: You may choose to glaze or varnish your bookmark when it’s done. I didn’t, but if I had decided to do so, I would have used Sculpey Gloss Glaze. I have used it with many other clay projects and have always loved it.
• Corn Starch or Plastic Wrap: I use corn starch to keep my cutters from sticking to my clay. You can also lay some plastic wrap over the clay before using the cutter. However, if you use plastic wrap, the clay will be puffy after removing the cutter, whereas if you use corn starch, it won’t. Both produce great results; it just depends on which one you prefer!
• Clay Tile: I like working on ceramic tiles, and I then bake my projects on the tiles I made them on. This minimizes how much I have to touch the project before it’s baked. You could also opt for a baking mat, like this Sculpey make-and-bake mat.

Directions

Step 1

Gather your materials! I’m using a few colors of clay (white, black, gray, blue, yellow, and orange!), my bookmark clay cutter, a bee and a honeycomb cutter, and a cute texture roller. You can use whatever cutters you’d like! I ended up pulling out a few leaf and flower cutters later in the process because I thought the bees and honeycombs didn’t end up being quite enough decoration. Be adaptable and ready to change plans as you craft – that’s part of the fun!

Step 2

I rolled out my backing color and then used my texture roller to make it a little more decorative. I’m glad that I did; I loved how it turned out.

This was one of the first times I’d used a texture roller, so as you can see, it’s a little uneven. It wasn’t really noticeable in the end, but I could have re-rolled it out and tried again.

Step 3

Next, use your bookmark cutter, or cut it down to the size you want your bookmark to be. I love this bookmark cutter because it has the added border inside to add an extra bit of detail.

Step 4

Next, I mixed up a golden yellow for the honeycombs and the bees. I wanted the color to feel like it fit with the blue, so I added a touch of the blue into the yellow.

Then I applied some cornstarch with a paintbrush (that’s the white stuff!) to keep my cutters from sticking.

Step 5

I cut out my bees and my honeycombs and carefully stuck them to the bookmark. I decided there wasn’t quite enough from just that, so I added some flowers and leaves with some green and purple clay. When you’re happy with the layout, pop that beautiful bookmark into the oven to bake!

Step 6

Once it’s out of the oven, you’re done! Well, if you want to be done! You can also add details with paint, add more clay, or glaze your bookmark.

Will you make a polymer clay bookmark?

I’m posting this as the winter holidays are approaching, so DIY gifts are on my mind. This would be an awesome project to toss into some stockings or throw into some teacher gifts. Of course, bookmarks aren’t limited to any particular season – readers need them all year round! So whenever you find this post, I hope it inspires you to make some bookish art.

Looking for more inspiration? I’ve got you! For more polymer clay projects, click here. And for my archive of free resources, click here!

Let’s connect! I’m on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest and would love to see what you’re working on!