...because home doesn't happen overnight.

I participated in a blogger gift exchange organized by Brooklyn Limestone and Rambling Renovators. Basically, each blogger was asked to put together a surprise package of their favorite things and mail it to another blogger. It was a great way to “meet” new friends and discover amazing products. I had so much fun!

Christine gifted me this lovely loot…

Processed with VSCOcam with g3 preset

…plenty of paper goodies, the cutest mug and latte bowls, washi tape and an awesome print. My favorite was the One Line a Day memory book. How did I not have this already?! If you’re in need of a Mother’s Day gift idea, there you go. Christine spoiled me. Rotten.

I sent Alex a few of my favorite things.

blogger care package

I included my favorite all purpose cleaner, gold scissors and interior design book. Alex is a proud and crafty Canadian so I had to thrown in a maple leaf paper punch, too. But not before giving it a whirl myself! I thought it would be fun to DIY a magnetic bookmark to mark my favorite page in the Remodelista book. (It’s page 200, btw.)

DIY magnetic bookmark 1

Here’s how to make one yourself:

DIY magnetic bookmark project

1. Cut a small rectangle from red card stock. (Mine was roughly 2″ x 6″.) Fold in half.

2. Follow step #1 using white card stock.

3. Cut the white rectangle along the fold to create two smaller rectangles.

4. Use a paper punch to cut a design in each white rectangle.

5. Glue the white rectangles onto the larger red rectangle. When the red rectangle is opened up, one design cutout should be right side up and the other should be upside down. This will produce a reversible bookmark in the end.

DIY magnetic bookmark

The bookmark should look something like shown above.

DIY bookmark magnet

Stick two small magnets together and hot glue one of the magnets to one side of the red card stock with the other magnet still stuck to the glued magnet. The magnets should be positioned near a short side of the red card stock – not near the fold.

Place a drop of hot glue on the exposed magnet and fold the bookmark over. Press and hold firmly until dry.

Gently pull apart the magnets. Voilà, a magnetic bookmark!

DIY magnetic bookmark 2

Just fold the bookmark over the page you want to mark. The magnets should stick together and hold the bookmark in place.

There was an issue with my first try. My execution wasn’t the best.

DIY magnetic bookmark 6

I used magnets that were thicker and stronger than necessary. The bookmark stays put well but it’s so thick it doesn’t allow the book to close properly. I was trying to use supplies I had on hand already to avoid a trip to the craft store with three kids. I’ve seen thinner, self-adhering magnets at JoAnn’s. You should use those or something similar. (Sorry Alex. Maybe you can make a better bookmark with your new paper punch? Ha!)

DIY magnetic bookmark 1

You could also switch things up and try different colored card stock and various cutout designs. It would be a great handmade Mother’s Day gift to complement the One Line a Day memory book. Or any other book for that matter.

You can read more about the bloggers’ gift exchange here. Thanks to Stefanie and Jen for making it possible. You ladies are amazing!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

12 Comments

28.April.2014

Ok, so that kitchen that’s in the magazine you have pictured is THE kitchen that started it all for me when I was trying to decide what to do on our Ikea renovation. Just thought it was a little ironic. That whole house is to die for. I’m so in love and have been for a year now.

28.April.2014

I was wondering where you got the bookmark from but this is even sweeter! Though just for that, if I ever make a bookmark with the punch, I’ll send you one too. BTW that kitchen now owns me. I have a little addiction to IKEA (my living room pretty much resembles page 28 of the 2011 catalogue) so when I saw that one I thought “Oh great, did she know we’ve started planning a kitchen reno?” I’ll gladly trade my builder cabinets in our McHome for that one any day. Thanks for everything!

28.April.2014

ha! I had to laugh, b/c you do not even know the lengths I would go to to avoid an unnecessary trip to the craft store (or any store) with my 3 kids! : ) Hence my Kleenex bookmarks, etc. : ) Yours is lovely and fun!

Also — so amazed that you can paint a room with a toddler underfoot! I can hardly get the dishwasher emptied it seems.

Keep on rocking – I love your blog and all the inspiration (i.e., shhh, I’m stealing your ideas…) that it gives me.

I love this gift exchange idea!

28.April.2014

You’re so welcome! I was worried you might have the book already. I did a little “research” before finding the right items. I REALLY wanted to send you some whiskey but didn’t think customs would appreciate my thoughtful gift. ;)

28.April.2014

Must be why I love your kitchen so much! ;)

29.April.2014

I bought that exact same line a day a few weeks ago and fell in love with it! As someone who gets bored with journaling this is amazing cause you don’t have the pressure of writing more than a few lines! There is also a great question a day book that is similar to this one where you answer one question each day. Have my eyes set on it!

29.April.2014

Those scissors are so fun! And I love the idea of a magnetic bookmark – why have I not heard of it before now?

29.April.2014

i love the idea of DIY’ing little things that you use every day. And… doing a gift exchange is such a great idea.

Love all the gifts you gave and received. But that bookmark might be my fave gift of all – you know the way to a Canadian’s heart!

The book looks AWESOME!!! I think I might have to go order it right now :-)

04.August.2014

[…] combination of beauty + brains. The book made my good reads list last year and I included it in my gift of favorite things earlier this year. I’ve read it all the way through several times and find myself picking it […]