Bookmark with a Gift Card

Total Time Needed:: 1 Hour

New books top many teachers' wish lists, whether for their own reading pleasure or to refresh the classroom library. Here's a fun way to present a bookstore gift card, complete with a bookmark to enjoy long after the money is spent.

Materials

Colored file folder
Scissors
Ruler
Sheet of decorative paper, at least 8 by 11 inches
Glue stick

Marker
Magazine clippings and/or other collage elements
Laminate kit (we got ours from Michaels)
Hole punch
1-foot length of ribbon

Instructions

Trim the folder so the front and back measure 6 by 9 inches and the spine, when folded as shown, measures 3/4 inch.
Cut a 4- by 10-inch piece from the decorative paper. Use the glue stick to affix it over the spine as shown. Trim the top and bottom flush with the folder.
Write a fun book title and the "author's" name on the cover.
To make the bookmark, cut a scrap of the folder to measure 2 1/2 by 7 inches. Create a collage on this base; we used some trimmings from the decorative paper, magazine cuttings, and a feather.
Laminate the mark following the directions on the package, then punch a hole near the top of the bookmark. Fold the ribbon in half, insert the folded end through the hole, and pull the free ends through the loop to secure.
To make a holder for the bookmark, use the glue stick to affix a 4- by 1-inch strip of decorative paper inside the folder as shown. Cut another piece, measuring 3 by 5 inches, to wrap around the gift card. Use the glue stick to close it and attach it to the inside of the folder. Add a note if you'd like.