Making leatherette bookmarks with the Leather Bookmark Generator

Difficulty: easy. Time: 10 minutes design, 5-10 minutes per batch on the laser. Best method: laser engraving on leatherette or veg-tan leather.

A leather bookmark is a two-minute laser job that feels like a leather-shop purchase. Pick a Bookmark Shape from the library - Classic Fold, Arch Top, Arched, Pointed, Rounded, Pennant, Tag, Arrow, Baroque, and a long row of decorative profiles - set the Width and Height (folded), then add engraved text with any font, an optional symbol placed above or beside the text, and a Tassel Hole positioned at a set distance from the seam. The export separates engrave and cut layers so the whole batch runs in one job.

Open the Leather Bookmark Generator

What You'll Need

Material: laser-safe leatherette - two-tone for high-contrast engraving - or 1.5-2 mm veg-tan leather
Laser: any diode or CO2 machine with extraction
Finishing: embroidery floss or suede cord for tassels; edge paint if you use real leather

Step 1 - Shape and size

Choose a shape under Shape & Dimensions and set the size - 35-50 mm wide by 130-180 mm tall covers paperbacks through hardcovers. Corner Radius softens the rectangular styles.

Step 2 - Engraving and tassel hole

Type your line under Text Engraving, pick a font, and set Text Size; fine-tune placement with Offset X / Y. Reader names, favorite quotes, and Bookworm-style titles all work.
Add a Symbol and choose its position - Above stacks it over the text, Beside runs it inline.
Enable the Tassel Hole, set the Hole Diameter (4-5 mm for a folded cord), and adjust Distance from Seam so the hole clears the shape's tip.

Step 3 - Export the SVG

Download the SVG with engraving and outline as separate layers. Nest several bookmarks per sheet - they tile beautifully.

Choose Your Build Method

Laser on leatherette and leather

Engrave text and symbol at low power; on two-tone leatherette aim for a clean color reveal, on veg-tan aim for a crisp dark burn.
Cut the outline and tassel hole in one pass - leatherette needs far less power than you think.
Wipe veg-tan leather with a barely damp cloth after cutting to lift soot.
Loop a tassel through the hole: fold a bundle of floss, push the loop through, pass the tails through the loop, and snug it down.

Make It Yours

Book club batch: same shape, every member's name, tassels in their favorite colors.
Engrave a line from the recipient's favorite book instead of a name.
Teacher gifts: an apple symbol beside the name, one per classroom in fifteen minutes of laser time.
The Pennant and Arrow shapes make great fantasy-reader bookmarks with sword and dragon symbols.
Pair with the Handmade Tag Generator for a matching label on the gift wrap.
Use the Tag shape with a date for wedding favors that guests actually keep.
Two-tone black-over-gold leatherette plus a serif font is the instant heirloom look.

Open the Leather Bookmark Generator

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