It's Spring! Here's some Flower Bookmarks!

It's Spring!  It's Spring!  It's finally here!  Though I thought that a few weeks ago and then it snowed, so I may be wrong.  But it sure feels like Spring!  It's sunny.  I've gone out without a winter coat.  The grass is actually more green than brown.  The trees are starting to bud with "baby leaves" as mini calls them.  The kids are riding their bikes.  AND I'm officially done paying attention to my child's homework, signing papers, initialing agendas and packing lunches.  And by officially done I mean mentally done, because school does not actually end until May, but let me tell you I AM DONE.

So.  It's Spring.  And in honor of Spring, here are some Spring-inspired bookmarks for you to make - and they're so easy!

You need: 
big-ish paperclips - any kind, really.  I used green so they'd represent the stem of the flower, but you can use any color.  They are the big kind, but not giant. (I got them at the dollar store)
fabric yo-yo's
buttons, needle and thread
White (or light colored) felt
Scissors
E6000
Clothespin

You can get fabric yo-yo's pre-made at fabric and craft stores - check in the notions or by the scrapbook embellishments.  BUT, although you CAN go this route, I highly recommend making your own!  Why?  Because you can use up all your scraps!  Plus you can personalize your yo-yo's and use your favorite fabric.  AND they are easy and super fun to make.  Seriously.  Sometimes I sit in front of the TV at night and just make a bunch of yo-yo's to be used at future times for various projects.  Does that make me weird?  Probably.  If you'd like to know how to make a fabric yo-yo, (and trust me, they are SO easy) check out this tutorial.

So.  You've got your yo-yo's.  Now find some coordinating buttons and use a needle and thread to sew them to the front (AKA gathered portion) of the yo-yo.  It's ok if you go all the way through as no one will see the back.

Now, cut out a felt circle, just smaller than your yo-yo flower.

Put some E6000 (not too much) on the back of your flower, and a little on the front of your felt circle.  Place the flower on the top of the paperclip (the end that is only a single wire layer, not the end the separates with the two layers of wires) and press the felt circle to the back of the flower - sandwiching the paperclip between.

Use a clothespin to clamp the flower and felt circle together until the adhesive dries.

Unclamp, and voila!  Adorable little flower bookmark!

These guys come together really quickly and are so adorable, they make awesome gifts for the avid readers you know!  How about an end of the year teacher gift??  

Make a whole set and package them up on a cute card.

You can also use this exact same method with covered buttons instead of yo-yo's, and they're pretty darn cute as well!

*Be sure to check below for all the fun parties I link to!*