Do you fancy a quick project that uses up some yarn scraps? Then I hope you try this little pattern! The Amigurumi ‘Book Lover’ bookmark pattern is very beginner-friendly. You also do not need too much yarn and you can whip one up in no time. The pattern is written in US terminology.
If you would like to support my work, you can purchase an ad-free version of this pattern via my Etsy store here.
The final bookmark measures as follows:
- Amigurumi book: 6cm long, 4cm wide, and 1.5cm thick
- Heart: around 3cm long and wide
- Strap: approximately 24cm long
The bookmark’s length can be changed so it can fit larger or smaller books. You can use any yarn you like, but if you want to achieve the same size, I would recommend using the same weight yarn and hook, as described below.
What you will need to make the Amigurumi ‘Book Lover’ bookmark crochet pattern:
- 2.5mm size hook
- Scheepjes Catona mercerised cotton yarn (this is fingering weight yarn) in yarn colours of your choice.
- I chose the following colours for the two bookmarks depicted in this blog post:
- Vivid blue/rust: for the book cover
- Snow white: for the book pages and strap
- Shocking pink/hot red: for the heart
- Tulip: for the cheeks
- Jet black: for the smile, but you can also use some thick black thread so you don’t need to buy a full ball of yarn just for a small strip
- I chose the following colours for the two bookmarks depicted in this blog post:
- A pair of 6mm safety eyes (I used those: https://amzn.to/2VDpLNq)
- A pair of scissors
- Tapestry needle (I use these: https://amzn.to/392PPoq)
Crochet stitches used in this pattern:
This is a beginner-friendly pattern that uses basic crochet stitches.
- Single crochet
- Half double crochet
- Double crochet
- Treble crochet
- Slip stitch
If you are unfamiliar with any of these stitches, check out the crochet stitch tutorials below:
Watch the video tutorial:
How to crochet the Amigurumi ‘Book Lover’ bookmark:
To make the book cover, pick up the relevant yarn and chain (CH) 12. Place 1 single crochet (SC) in the second chain from hook and then place 1 SC in each remaining CH. You should have a total of 11 SCs. CH 1 and turn. Repeat for a total of 17 rows. Do not snip off the yarn.
At the end of the 17th row, make a second SC in the same space as the last stitch and turn your piece sideways so as to put 1 SC in each of the rows starting with the previous row (your second SC counts as being the first ‘sideways’ SC). Continue in this way along your piece until you reach the beginning of the 17th row.
Slip stitch into the first SC and fasten off your yarn. Using your darning needle, weave in your ends.
To make the book pages, pick up the white yarn and CH 12. Make 1 SC in the second CH from hook and place SCs along the rest of your CHs for a total of 11 SCs. CH 1 and turn. Repeat for 17 rows. CH 1 and fasten off your yarn. Weave in your ends.
Make a second piece in the same way, but stop and fasten off your yarn after you have completed the 15th row. Weave in your ends, again.
To make the cheeks, simply CH 3 and slip stitch into the first chain. Fasten off your yarn leaving a bit of a tail so you can use that to sew the cheeks in place.
To assemble your book. Place the book cover on your working area and then on top of it place first the 17 row white piece and then on top of that the 15 row piece. Fold it in half and make sure you are happy with how it looks. Once you are happy, decide where you want to place the safety eyes and cheeks.
I prefer that the cheeks to be placed slightly outside the eyes (see photo below). Then, pick up the book cover piece and weave in the cheeks and tie a small knot on the back of the main piece to secure them. you don’t need to weave in the ends as no one will see the ‘inside. of the book.
Take a darning needle and your black yarn and make the smile. There are lots of ways to do that.
I like to pull the yarn from the back (photo 1) and with my needle go across in a straight line (photo 2). Then with the needle coming from the back to the front, find the middle of that straight line (photo 3) and then by inserting the needle just a bit below that centre point, gently drag the yarn a bit down to form a smile (photo 4). Then take the thread back on to the back side to secure it by going through a space close to where the needle just came out of (photo 5).
Now re-assemble the book with the pages and secure the safety eyes. Make sure the back of the safety eyes penetrate the two pages as this will also help you secure the book and minimise the amount of sewing you need to do later.
Leave the book aside, and now let’s make the strap. Adapt the length of the strap as you please. For this pattern, I chained 61 CHs. Starting again at the second CH from hook, place 1 half double crochet (HDC) in all the CHs for a total of 60 HDCs. CH 1 and place HDCs across the second row. CH 1 and fasten off your yarn, leaving a bit of a tail to secure it to the book later.
You can make the strap white to match the book pages, or a different colour of your preference. it is meant to be a ‘bookmark’ for your amigurumi book, so you can give it your own spin!
For the mini heart, make a magic ring and CH 3. In the magic ring make the following stitches: 4 double crochets (DCs), 2 treble crochets (TR) and then CH 3 and then slip stitch. Repeat the same stitches in reverse order: CH 3, 2 TRs and 4 DCs. Slip stitch into the top CH of the original CH 3. Pull the magic circle to close it tight. Make two of the same hearts. Then, weave in the ends, but on one of the hearts, leave a few inches on one of the ends so you can sew the hearts together.
To finish off the bookmark, place one end of the strap in between the two hearts and using the remaining end and the darning needle, sew the strap and hearts together making sure that the heart is facing the right direction.
Take the other side of the strap and using some white yarn, sew it on the book pages. Using the the same colour yarn as the book cover sew around the book, making sure that the stitches are not too close to the edge making them visible from the sides.
And you are done! Now you can enjoy reading with your new little helper to keep track of where you are.
Happy Crochet