Foster your child’s love of reading with these adorable hand-drawn bookmarks that you can print at home and colour in with pencils, markers or crayons! These cute bookmarks are perfect for kids of all ages, and they are a great way to get your child excited about reading books.
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Did anyone else get really excited when their kids became old enough to read chapter books?!
It’s not that I don’t enjoy reading picture books and short stories with them. But there are only so many times you can sound out the names of fruits and vegetables, or recount the adventures of the PAW Patrol, without longing for something a little more intellectually stimulating.
So now that we have two preschoolers at home, I’ve been having a great time diving back into some of my favourite books from my childhood!
We’ve been reading a few of Roald Dahl’s novels lately and my five-year-old has been completely entranced. Every night, she asks, “Please Mommy, just one more chapter?” and I absolutely love it.
And because we can’t possibly read an entire novel every night, we’ve started using bookmarks to mark the page. So my kids were thrilled when I decided to create a set of bookmarks that they could colour in themselves!
This set includes 8 different designs that I drew by hand. Each bookmark measures 2” x 6” (a standard size for bookmarks), and we laminated ours to make them more durable.
Our kids had so much fun colouring in these templates, and they absolutely love their new bookmarks!
Like this freebie? Grab the whole bundle!
Foster your child’s love of reading with these gorgeous hand-drawn colouring bookmarks. This large bundle includes:
- Spring-themed bookmarks (set of 6)
- Summer-themed bookmarks (set of 6)
- Fall-themed bookmarks (set of 6)
- Winter-themed bookmarks (set of 6)
Great for teachers, homeschoolers, parents, or even for adults who use colouring as a way to unwind!
Use the coupon code MOREBOOKMARKS to get 15% off the regular price!
How to Print These Bookmarks
After you download the PDF file to your phone or computer, use your home printer to print out the bookmarks on white cardstock or regular white printer paper. The file was created in US Letter format, but you should be able to print it on A4 paper by adjusting the “Scale to Fit” setting on your printer.
If you are planning on laminating the bookmarks, regular printer paper and cardstock will both work, so choose whichever options works better for you. (We printed ours on regular printer paper because we knew we were going to laminate them.)
On the other hand, if you aren’t planning on laminating the bookmarks, or if your child wants to use markers and you’re concerned that the ink will bleed through the paper, cardstock will yield the best results. Cardstock is thicker than regular paper and will hold up better when your child starts using the bookmarks.
Do I Need to Laminate These Bookmarks?
Laminating the bookmarks is optional, but I highly recommend it for two reasons:
- It will create a more durable bookmark that your child can use again and again
- It will protect your books, because the pages won’t come directly into contact with marker ink, pencil lead, crayon wax or any other substance that was used to decorate the bookmarks
As a bonus, laminating the bookmarks will also make them look more polished if you’re planning on giving them as a gift!
I personally LOVE our thermal laminator and use it for everything. It wasn’t expensive at all, and not only is it perfect for laminating bookmarks (like these bleeding tissue paper bookmarks and DIY alcohol ink bookmarks), but it’s also a great for protecting children’s artwork or making educational printables reusable.
Download Your Free Colour-In Bookmarks
You can download these colouring bookmarks in PDF format by clicking the download link below (no sign-up required).
If your kids love colouring in bookmarks and you’re looking for more unique designs to print out for them, you can also check out these free colour-by-number bookmark colouring pages.
{DOWNLOAD LINK}
COLOURING BOOKMARKS
(Please note that these free printable bookmarks are for school and personal use only and cannot be redistributed. When sharing this printable, please link to this article rather than directly to the files. You can read our full printables terms of use here.)
Who Is This Activity For?
This fun activity is perfect for young readers who want to get creative and make reading new books even more exciting. Colouring in the bookmarks would be a great rainy day activity, and these bookmarks make great gifts, as well!
The intricate designs are also great for middle school students, high school students, and even adults who are looking for a creative outlet or who need a fun way to relax during their free time.
Can I Use This Printable in My Classroom?
Yes, you can! If you are a teacher or a librarian, you are welcome to use these fun printable bookmarks with your students.
How to Use & Preserve the Bookmarks
1. Print on Paper or Cardstock
Once you have downloaded the file, open it on your phone or computer and print it on Letter-sized paper or cardstock.
2. Colour Bookmarks
Break out the art supplies you have on hand and use them to colour your own bookmarks!
We used coloured pencils, but you can use markers or crayons if that works better for you. Use your imagination and don’t be afraid to use lots of different colours or experiment with white space.
3. Laminate Bookmarks (Optional)
If you have chosen to laminate your bookmarks, simply place four of them in a laminating pouch and laminate them according to your machine’s instructions. Make sure you leave enough room in between each bookmark to give yourself a good margin for cutting!
I used a paper trimmer to cut off the excess plastic because I love how easy it is and how clean the cuts are. But if you don’t have one at home, you can simply use scissors.
This was a great activity to do during quiet time, and the bookmarks they coloured in have quickly become our kids’ favourite bookmarks!
Additional Ways to Decorate Your Bookmarks
There are lots of different ways to decorate these bookmarks! Here are a few things you can try if you feel like making your homemade bookmarks even fancier:
- Use metallic pencils or markers
- Cut some 2” x 6” pieces of coloured cardstock or paper and glue them to the back of the bookmark (or stick them using double-sided tape) before laminating
- Leave some extra plastic at the top of each bookmark after laminating, then use a hole punch to make a hole in the plastic and add tassels or decorative beads
Related Hand-Drawn Colouring Printables
Looking for more colouring fun? Check out these articles:
- Free Printable Winter Colouring Pages
- Totally Free Valentine’s Day Colouring Cards
- Printable Back-to-School Colouring Pages
Hello! I am looking for a craft project for 2nd graders. The project will be led by a group of 8th graders who found these bookmarks and loved them! Thank you so much, I look forward to seeing more of what you offer!
I am so glad to hear that!! I hope the kids enjoy the bookmarks!
How do I access the form to request the printable? I cannot find it. I would like to use them for a reading incentive with my students.
Thank you
Hi Carolyn! There are two forms in the article, one near the top after the heading “How to Download Your Free Colour-In Bookmarks” and another at the bottom under the heading “Request the Free Bookmarks Here!” You can use either of the forms to get the bookmarks sent to your inbox.
Would love the bookmarks!
Of course! All you need to do is submit your email address using one of the forms provided in the article, and the bookmarks will be sent straight to your inbox. I hope you enjoy them!
would love for my preschool book club
Is your book club in a school setting? School use is allowed, but commercial use is not (even if you give them away for free). You can find more details about how my printables can be used here: https://thecraftathomefamily.com/printables-terms-of-use/
If ever you don’t find what you’re looking for on that page, please feel free to reach out via the “Contact” page on my site and we can discuss your particular situation!
Would love these for my first graders.
School use is perfectly OK, so you’re more than welcome to use them for your first students!
Using for a craft event to give out free to children to colour in
Will the event be in a school setting? Personal and school use are allowed, but commercial use is not, even if the bookmarks are being given away for free alongside paid offers. Please feel free to contact me for commercial pricing if that’s something you would be interested in!
using these at school thankyou
So glad to hear that!
thanks for the bookmarks
You’re welcome, so glad you’re enjoying them!
I would love to use these with a small group of my Year 1 children.
School use is allowed, so that’s totally fine!
The book marks are lovely.
Thank you so much!
I am not seeing a form to fill out at the end of the article.
Perhaps there was some sort of technical issue going on, but it seems to be resolved now!
I would love to use these with my third grade readers! 🙂
School use is allowed, so you’re more welcome to use them with your students!
Thanks for the bookmarks
You’re so welcome, I’m glad you’re enjoying them!
I would like to use the bookmarks please. Hey look great!
Of course! All you need to do is enter your email address in the form at the bottom of the article and they’ll be sent straight to your inbox!
I would love to use these with my students please.
School use is totally fine!
I would love to use these for my 2 d and 5th graders!
School use is perfectly fine!
Our school Librarian will love these! thank you
You’re welcome, so glad you like them!
would love for my 4th graders!!
School use is totally fine! Simply follow the instructions in the article (under “How to Download”) and you’ll receive the bookmarks right in your inbox!
Thank you for the lovely bookmarks!!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you like them!!
i would love thse for school class
Personal and school use are perfectly fine! Simply follow the instructions in the article (under “How to Download”) and you’ll receive the bookmarks right in your inbox!
I would love to use these with a small group of my Year 1 children.
Personal and school use are perfectly fine, so I’d be happy for you to use them with your year 1 children! All you need to do is sign up to receive our newsletter using the form at the bottom of the article, and you’ll receive the bookmarks as a free gift for joining. (You can unsubscribe at any time.) Hope they enjoy it!
I am trying to print the bookmarks.
What issue are you having? If you describe it, perhaps I can help!
I would love to use these for my 5th graders!
Personal and school use are perfectly fine, so you can absolutely use them for your 5th graders! All you need to do is sign up to receive our newsletter using the form at the bottom of the article, and you’ll receive the bookmarks as a free gift for joining. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)