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How to Make an In-the-Hoop Bookmark

How to Make an In-the-Hoop Bookmark

Whether you're a reader, or know someone who is, in-the-hoop bookmarks are a fast and easy project for gifts, craft fairs, and more. Follow along with the steps below to learn how you can make your own using one of our downloadable in-the-hoop bookmark machine embroidery design files.

Supplies & Materials:

- Fabric such as twill, denim, canvas, or kona cotton.

- Medium-weight cut away stabilizer

- Tear-away stabilizer

- Temporary spray adhesive

- Embroidery thread

- Scissors

In-the-hoop bookmarks can be made using simple supplies that most home machine embroiderers will have on hand, including fabric, spray adhesive, thread, and tearaway stabilizer.

Spray adhesive can, five spools of embroidery thread (white, black, pink, purple, magenta, green), black and white fabric pieces, and scissors on gray surface.

When you download an in-the-hoop bookmark design, you will find multiple files. Some are the embroidery files, and the others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery softwear. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our  helpful video  on using dielines. 

Three printed embroidery design worksheets with rectangles and measurements, placed on a gray fabric surface, shown at an angle.

Spray a piece of cutaway stabilzier with temporary spray adhesive (such as Gunold KK100), then smooth the fabric for the front of the bookmark on top. 

Hand holding and lifting a corner of a black fabric or felt sheet revealing a white backing beneath it, placed on a gray surface.

Spray the backside of the printed dieline with a small amout of temoprary adehesive and smooth it on top of the fabric and stabilizer.

Black fabric piece with a white rectangular paper template pinned or taped on it showing lines for cutting or stitching, placed on a grey surface background.

Cut out the shape.

Pair of gray and white-handled scissors next to a rectangular piece of black fabric on a gray textured surface.

Repeat the above step to cut out a back piece for the bookmark. 

Two rectangular black fabric strips placed on a light gray fabric background, evenly spaced and parallel, with no visible embroidery or markings.

Hoop the tear away stabilizer. 

Rectangular embroidery hoop with white stabilizer fabric tightly stretched inside, set on a gray surface, ready for hooping fabric.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the emboridery design (not the dieline). Embroider the design. The first thing to stitch is an outline that traces the shape for the front fabric piece. 

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a rectangular outline on white fabric hooped in place, with the needle actively sewing along the black thread line.

Spray the back side of the front piece with temporary spray adhesive. Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the staiblizer. Then place the front piece within the shape of the dieline. 

Embroidery hoop with white stabilizer fabric hooped, black rectangular fabric piece centered inside, all placed on a gray surface.

Return the hoop to the machine. The next thing to stitch will be the tackdown stitch. This will hold the front piece in place during the rest of the embroidery. 

Close-up of a sewing machine needle stitching black fabric with a tight zigzag stitch on white stabilizer or paper background.

Follow the color change sheet to sew out the design. Stop before the back piece tack down step. 

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a rectangular black fabric bookmark featuring two purple cat faces with bright green eyes, surrounded by white stabilizer.

Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Turn the hoop over so the back side is facing up. Spray the back side of the backpiece with temporary spray adhesive and place within the shape on the back. 

Hand holding a white stabilizer being peeled off from a rectangular black fabric piece with multicolored embroidered design in the lower center inside an embroidery hoop on a gray surface.

Since the remaining stitches will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin with the same color thread that you are using in the needle. Place the matching bobbin into the machine. 

Close-up of a large spool of black thread lying on a gray fabric surface next to a small bobbin wound with black thread.

Return the hoop to the machine and continue emboridering the design. The next step to stitch out will be another zig-zag border to attach the back and front pieces together. 

Close-up of a sewing machine embroidering a black fabric bookmark with pink and purple cat faces featuring green eyes, detailed with white stitching outlines.

After the backpiece tackdown sews, a satin boarder will finish the edges of the bookmark. 

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching a small black fabric bookmark with a colorful embroidered design, including purple and green details, on white stabilizer material.

After the satin boarder has finished sewing out, carefully remove the bookmark from the stabilzier. 

Black rectangular fabric bookmark with three embroidered purple cat heads with green eyes, placed on white stabilizer paper over a gray surface.

If the bookmark has a sewn eyelet or grommet, poke a hole through it using a wide needle or awl. Then thread a ribbon or tassel though the hole and tie it onto the bookmark.

Bookmark with ribbon, a sewing needle, and awl