Blue Ombre Quilled Bookmark

This beautiful handcrafted paper quilled bookmark features a flowing leaf in serene oceanic shades of blue. Meticulously rolled and shaped, it’s perfect not just as a bookmark, but also as a versatile gift, it can be resized to become unique earrings, transformed into a charming fridge magnet, attached to a greeting card, or made into a delicate dangler. A creative Ombre design which is unique and elegant!

Sheets of Blue Paper - Regular paper - 70 to 80 GSM - I've taken 5 shades of blue coloured paper

Scale

Paper Cutter

Cutting Mat

Tweezer / Quilling Tool

Glue

Since this is a paper quilled bookmark, I want to make it as thin as possible so it doesn't seem too bulky. Because of this, I am not using ready cut strips. I am cutting my own strips which is fairly simple.

Prepare your workspace

Place a cutting mat on a flat surface.

If you don’t have a cutting mat, stack a thick bunch of newspapers to protect your table.

Stack the papers

Arrange 5 sheets of paper one on top of the other, perfectly aligned.

Place the stack horizontally on your cutting mat.

Align with the grid

Line up the bottom edge of the paper stack with the cutting grid lines on your mat (or straight edge of your newspaper stack) to keep everything straight.

Position your scale/ruler

Place a metal or acrylic scale on top of the paper stack, leaving about 2 mm of paper exposed on the side you plan to cut.

Make your first cut

Using a sharp paper cutter (X-Acto knife or precision blade), press firmly and cut from top to bottom, following the scale’s edge for a straight line.

Continue cutting strips

After the first strip, move your scale 2 mm to the left (or right, depending on your starting point) and repeat the process.

Make sure to hold the scale firmly so the paper doesn’t shift.

Continue cutting until you have 20 strips in total.

Check your strips

Carefully separate the cut strips. They should be evenly sized, around 2 mm wide, ready for quilling.

Now that our strips are ready, it’s time to start assembling them.

Take the five shades of blue you’ve cut and arrange them from lightest to darkest. Carefully glue the strips together in that order, one after the other, creating a smooth gradient effect. Leave these aside to dry so we can roll them.

Repeat this process with all your strips, but be sure to set aside one group of strips. We’ll use those to create the central vine in the next step.

To create the vine:

Start by folding each of the 5 blue strips in half. Then, arrange the halved strips from lightest to darkest shade.

Begin with the lightest blue strip at the base. Apply glue and layer the next slightly darker strip directly on top of it. Continue this process, stacking each darker shade over the previous one.

This will form a thick, blended vine or branch with a smooth ombre transition from light to dark blue.

Now, let’s create the main leaves for our bookmark:

We’ll be making 17 leaves in total -

1. 1 tapered leaf to be used as the tip of the bookmark, and
2. 16 ‘S’-shaped leaves to be placed along the sides of the vine.

Step-by-Step:

Use the ombre strips you prepared in Step 2 (lightest to darkest blue).

1. Begin rolling each strip, starting from the light blue end and working toward the dark blue.
2. This will give you a beautiful ombre gradient in every leaf.

Unfurl each roll gently to about 1 inch wide.

Shape your coils:

1. Shape 1 coil into a tapered point, this will be the tip of your bookmark.
2. Shape the remaining 16 coils into ‘S’ shapes, these will form the leaves around the vine.

Secure the shape:

1. Apply a thin layer of glue over each shaped leaf.
2. Spread the glue evenly on both sides to make sure the coils stay intact and don’t unfurl over time.

Let’s assemble our ombre leaf bookmark:

Now that your vine and leaves are ready, it’s time to bring everything together.

Final Assembly:

Take 8 of the ‘S’-shaped leaves and arrange them by sticking them side-by-side to form one half of the leaf.

Repeat the same with the remaining 8 ‘S’-shaped leaves to form the other half.

Attach both halves to either side of the vine, aligning them carefully to form a full leaf pattern.

Finally, add the single tapered leaf at the tip of the vine to complete the pointed end of your bookmark.

Finishing Touch:

Let the bookmark dry completely. Then, for added durability and a professional finish, spray a light coat of varnish over the entire piece.

And that’s it! Your stunning, handcrafted ombre leaf bookmark is ready to be used, gifted, or even turned into earrings, a magnet, or a greeting card embellishment!