Father’s Day + Peeking Kiddo Bookmark Tutorial

Father’s Day for us was lovely and low key— french toast for breakfast, a morning walk on the beach where we discovered teeny tiny sea stars and great big crabs, and heartfelt homemade gifts for our favorite guy. We went with a literary theme this year. The kids each made the sweetest books about their Daddo, and I gave him Your True Home by Ticht Nacht Han, along with one of my FAVORITE creations ever— PEEKING KIDDO BOOKMARKS! I had so much fun dreaming these up and then figuring out how to construct them so Isla and Cole’s little hands would grip over the tops of the pages. I’ve included a step-by step tutorial below so you can make your own bookmarks!

How To Make Peeking Kiddo Bookmarks:

Supplies:

• sturdy paper
• glue stick
• scissors
• x-acto knife
• laminator and lamination sheets
• camera
• printer

1. Take photos of your kiddos with their hands gripping the back of the chair. I placed the chair a few feet from a window so there was nice bright light on the kids’ faces. Have them crouch down so their chins are just above the back of the chair. Make sure you can see their hands.

2. Select and print your favorite photos. I printed mine at home on our favorite watercolor paint paper. Make sure your printer settings are on the highest quality.

3. Carefully cut around the kids’ heads, shoulders and hands and separate them from the background.

4. Glue the cut outs to the top of a strip of sturdy paper. Cut each strip to the same width as the outer edge of the hands. I used one of Cole’s paintings (another reason to save the best scraps from your kiddos’ art projects!) for his bookmark, while Isla wrote the words, “Happy Reading!” on a strip of colored construction paper. There is a lot of creative freedom here to decorate the bookmark however you would like!

5. Carefully cut and remove the excess paper around the top of the head and shoulders. You may need to use an x-acto knife for a precise cut.

6. Place the bookmarks into a lamination sheet and laminate them. If you do not have a laminator, I highly recommend getting one. They are affordable and can be used for so many projects! Unfortunately, the model we have does not appear to be available anymore, but this is a similar option with great reviews.

7. Cut around the edges of your bookmarks, leaving a thin edge of clear plastic, and then run it back through the laminator. It is possible that air bubbles will form around the paper, causing the plastic to separate, so it is a good idea to run the cut out bookmark through the laminator once more to be sure the edges are sealed thoroughly.

8. Using your x-acto knife, cut around the shapes of the finger tips, careful NOT to cut all the way through the outer edge. Gently push the cut out hands so that they will easily slide over the top of a book page.

There you have it– peeking kiddo bookmarks! They were such a hit with Isaac, and I am SO excited to make more for other book enthusiasts in our family. These thoughtful gifts are perfect for tucking inside of new books, easy to send in the mail, and I am already envisioning how adorable they will look sticking out of Christmas stockings! Can you think of any readers in your life that would love these?

Oh! And per tradition, I put together a Father’s Day slideshow that we watched before tucking the kiddos into bed. What a gift it is to relive so many precious memories from our parenthood journey– nearly 7 years of love, learning, and adventures around the world. It was the perfect ending to the perfect day for our perfect Daddo!

Happy Father’s Day, Isaac! Isla and Cole are unbelievably fortunate to have a Daddo who is so dedicated, selfless, and genuinely loves to be part of their lives. Sharing this parenthood journey with you is the greatest gift of my life— even in the wee hours of the morning when the kids are wide awake and we’d rather be sleeping! Thank you for being a constant example of kindness, patience, creativity, and integrity to us all. We adore you!