6 DIY Cat Bookmarks for Feline Lovers

I lose my place in books constantly. Like, constantly. I’ll be deep into a thriller, the killer is about to be revealed, and my cat, Pixel, decides my lap is a five-star hotel. By the time she’s done kneading my legs into a pretzel, I’ve totally forgotten the page number. Folding the corner? Blasphemy. Using a random receipt? That’s a one-way ticket to a paper cut.

So, I did what any rational, slightly craft-obsessed person would do. I combined my two loves: my furry little dictator and my books. The result is this list of six DIY cat bookmarks that are almost too cute to use. Almost.

Grab your glue gun and raid your craft stash. We’re about to make sure you never lose your page again.

1. The Easy Origami Cat Corner Bookmark

This is the gateway craft, folks. It’s so simple, you could probably do it with your eyes closed. Actually, please don’t. Glue guns and closed eyes are a bad mix.

I love these because they literally sit on the corner of your page, hugging it like a tiny, paper cat. You can make a whole litter in under an hour. Seriously.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Square pieces of paper (origami paper is perfect, but you can cut any paper into a square)
• Markers, pens, or googly eyes (because everything is better with googly eyes)
• Glue stick

The “How-To” (it’s ridiculously easy):

1. Start with your square paper, colored side down, and rotate it so it looks like a diamond.
2. Fold the top corner down to meet the bottom corner, creating a triangle.
3. Take the right corner of the triangle and fold it up to meet the top point. Crease well, then unfold.
4. Do the same with the left corner. Fold it up to the top point, crease, and unfold. You should now have a triangle with an X in the middle.
5. Now, take the top layer only of the top point and fold it all the way down to the bottom edge of the triangle. Crease.
6. Fold the right corner back up and tuck it into the little pocket you just created at the top.
7. Do the same with the left corner. Tuck it into the pocket.
8. Boom. You have the base of your corner bookmark.

Now for the fun part: decorating! This is where your cat’s personality comes in. Draw some pointy ears on the front. Add whiskers. Those googly eyes I mentioned? Glue them on for maximum effect. You can make a grumpy cat, a surprised cat, a sleepy cat. FYI, my first attempt looked like a potato with ears, but my cat Pixel loved it. She tried to eat it. I took that as a compliment.

2. The “Felt Fiend” Simple Stitched Cat

If you’re like me and you have a zillion scraps of felt lying around from other projects that definitely seemed like a good idea at the time, this one’s for you. Felt is forgiving, doesn’t fray, and feels way more luxurious than paper when you’re flipping through your book.

This is a basic hand-sewing project, but don’t let that scare you off. If you can thread a needle, you can make this.

Materials:

• Small pieces of craft felt in your chosen cat colors
• Embroidery floss (contrasting colors look awesome)
• A needle
• Scissors
• Fiberfill stuffing (just a tiny bit)
• Ribbon (optional)

Let’s get stitching:

1. Cut out your shapes. You’ll need two identical cat body shapes. Think a simple silhouette—a circle for a head, two triangle ears, and a chunky body. I freehand mine because I’m a rebel. Or just lazy. You decide. 😛
2. Embroider the face. On one of the pieces, stitch on a little face. A couple of French knots for eyes and a simple straight stitch for the mouth works perfectly. You could also glue on tiny beads, but stitching is more durable.
3. Decide on a tail (optional). If you want a tail, cut a thin strip of felt and sew or glue it onto the back piece now.
4. Sew the body. Place your two felt pieces together, with the face on the outside. Start stitching around the edges using a simple whipstitch. Leave a small gap at the bottom.
5. Add a little fluff. Through the gap, poke in a tiny amount of fiberfill. You don’t want a chonky cat, just a little plumpness. This is a bookmark, not a pillow. 😉
6. Finish up. Sew the gap closed and tie off your thread.

I like to sew a length of ribbon into the seam at the top of the head. Then the ribbon sticks out of the top of my book, making it super easy to find my spot. IMO, it’s the little details that make a project feel professional.

3. The Upcycled Cardboard Cat Portrait

We all have cardboard. Thanks to Amazon, we have an endless, slightly annoying supply of it. Instead of tossing that box from your latest “essential” purchase, turn it into a chic, minimalist bookmark.

This is also a fantastic way to use up those paint swatches from the hardware store that you definitely grabbed “just in case.”

Gather your supplies:

• Thin cardboard (a cereal box is perfect for this)
• Paint samples, decorative paper, or fabric scraps
• Mod Podge or white glue
• A paintbrush
• An X-Acto knife and cutting mat
• A hole punch and some twine or yarn

Your masterpiece awaits:

1. Cut your base. Use your X-Acto knife to cut a rectangle from the cardboard. A good size is about 2 inches wide and 6 inches tall.
2. Pick your “cat.” This is where it gets fun. Cut a simple cat shape from a different piece of paper. It could be a solid silhouette of a sitting cat, just the outline of a cat’s head, or even just the eyes and nose. Less is more here.
3. Decoupage time. Tear or cut your chosen papers (paint samples work great) into small pieces. Using your brush and Mod Podge, glue them onto the cardboard bookmark base. Overlap them for a cool, textured look. Cover the whole thing and let it dry.
4. Assemble the cat. Once the base is dry, glue your cut-out cat shape onto the front. This contrast between the busy, patterned background and the simple cat shape is what makes this design so striking.
5. Seal the deal. Paint another layer of Mod Podge over the entire thing to protect it.
6. Add the finishing touch. Punch a hole at the top and thread a piece of twine or yarn through it.

This one always gets compliments. People think I spent hours on it, when really, it was just a fun way to distract myself from… well, everything.

4. The Pom-Pom Cat (A Fluffy Friend)

Okay, this bookmark is less about marking a specific page and more about having a tiny, fluffy companion peeking out at you from the pages of your novel. It’s a commitment to cuteness.

Making pom-poms is surprisingly therapeutic. You just wrap, tie, and cut. It’s a great way to use up leftover yarn.

What you need:

• Yarn in your cat’s fur color (I used a grey marl for my Pixel look-alike)
• A small piece of cardboard (or a pom-pom maker if you’re fancy)
• Scissors
• Felt for ears and a tail
• Hot glue gun
• A long, thin strip of felt or a strong ribbon

Let’s get fluffy:

1. Make the pom-pom. Cut two donut-shaped circles from your cardboard. Place them together and start wrapping yarn around them. Wrap until the center hole is almost full. The more you wrap, the fluffier your cat will be.
2. Cut and tie. Carefully cut the yarn along the outer edge of the cardboard donuts. Then, take a separate piece of yarn, slide it between the two cardboard pieces, and tie it tightly around the middle of the yarn bundle. Remove the cardboard and fluff your pom-pom. Trim any crazy long pieces.
3. Make the ears. Cut two small triangles from your felt. Fold the bottom edge of each triangle slightly and glue it to the top of the pom-pom.
4. Add a tail. Cut a thin strip of felt and glue it to the back of the pom-pom.
5. Attach the marker. Glue the end of your long felt strip or ribbon firmly to the bottom of the pom-pom.

Now you have a fluffy cat head attached to a long tail that hangs out of your book. It’s ridiculous, adorable, and I guarantee it will make you smile every single time you pick up your book. Ever wondered why we spend so much time making things that serve such a simple purpose? Because it’s fun, that’s why.

5. The “Purr-fect” Pressed Flower Cat

This one is for the folks who want their bookmarks to be a little bit classy. It’s simple, elegant, and lets nature do most of the heavy lifting. You can make a bunch of these in one go and give them as gifts to all your bookish friends.

The key is pressing your flowers first. I usually just stick them between the pages of a heavy book (appropriately enough) for a week or two.

Materials:

• Self-adhesive laminating sheets (or clear contact paper)
• Pressed flowers and small leaves
• Hole punch
• Ribbon or twine

Crafting time:

1. Cut your laminating sheet. Cut a rectangle of the laminating sheet to your desired bookmark size. I like mine about 2×6 inches. Cut a second piece slightly larger to be the back.
2. Design your cat. This is the trickiest part. Peel the backing off one sheet and, using your pressed flowers, arrange them in the shape of a cat. Use a tiny flower for the nose, two little petals for the ears, and maybe a blade of grass for the tail. It takes a little patience, but the result is so worth it.
3. Seal it. Carefully place the second, slightly larger piece of laminating paper over the top, sticky side down. Press firmly from the center outwards to avoid air bubbles.
4. Trim and finish. Trim the edges to make them neat. Punch a hole at the top and thread your ribbon through.

This bookmark feels so delicate and pretty. It’s a complete 180 from my usual chaotic crafting style, but I love it. It’s proof that you don’t need to be a master artist to create something beautiful.

6. The Clothespin Cat (For When You’re Lazy… I Mean, Efficient)

Let’s be honest. Sometimes you want a cat bookmark, but the thought of sewing or decoupaging makes you want to take a nap. I’ve been there. This is the project for that exact moment. It takes about five minutes and uses supplies you probably already have.

It’s so simple, it’s almost stupid. And that’s what makes it brilliant.

You only need three things:

• A wooden clothespin (the kind with the spring)
• Paint or markers
• A small piece of felt or pipe cleaner

Here’s the “hard” part:

1. Paint the clothespin. Paint the whole thing in your cat’s base color. Let it dry. Or don’t. I won’t tell.
2. Paint the face. Use a black marker or paint to add two little eyes and a pink nose to the top “head” part of the clothespin. Add some whiskers if you’re feeling fancy.
3. Make the ears. Cut two small triangles from felt and glue them to the top of the clothespin. Alternatively, you can pinch a small piece of pipe cleaner into a V-shape and glue it on for 3D ears.
4. Add the tail. Glue a small piece of felt or a short pipe cleaner to the back.

To use it, just clip it onto the page you want to mark. The clothespin holds your place perfectly, and the cat’s little face peers over the top of the page. It’s also perfect for marking a specific passage because you can clip it right onto the page. Genius, right?

Time to Get Crafty

So there you have it. Six ways to combine a love for literature with a borderline-obsessive appreciation for our feline overlords. Whether you’re a master seamstress or a glue-gun novice, there’s a project here with your name on it.

Personally, I think I’m going to make a dozen of those clothespin cats. They’re the perfect “I’m watching TV but feel like I should be doing something” craft. And honestly, my bookshelves could use a few more watchful eyes. Pixel is getting lazy in her old age.

Now, go forth and make something awesome. Your future self, searching for page 247, will thank you. Happy crafting, cat people! 🐱