Romantasy Fall Bookmarks: Gold Edges, Lace Tassels & Shrink-Film Charms

Romantasy Fall bookmark with the full lace-and-fibre tassel design and charm dangles.

A little gold, a beautiful bookmark, and a gloriously full tassel—this is the sort of finishing touch that makes a reading accessory feel like a special gift. For this project I used the Romantasy Fall bookmarks and turned coordinating sticker designs into little hand-coloured charms.

The project has two parts. First we print and finish the bookmarks. Then we make the charms and put together a layered tassel with lace, fibres and strands of seed beads.

Gather your supplies

• Romantasy Fall bookmark artwork and coordinating sticker designs
• Printer and suitable cardstock within your printer's supported weight
• Paper trimmer or scissors, ruler and a small hole punch
• Gold marker, or craft foil with its compatible adhesive or transfer system
• Laminating pouches and a laminator suitable for the finished cardstock thickness
• Tracing line art made from the sticker designs
• Shrink film suitable for tracing and pencil crayons, a compatible outlining pen, scissors and a hole punch
• Heat tool approved for your shrink film, heat-resistant work surface and suitable holding tool
• Small phone-dangle cord loops; jump rings and jewellery pliers if needed
• Lace, ribbons, yarn and textured fibres in plum, dusty rose, copper/rust, muted olive, ivory and antique gold
• Seed beads, beading thread or cord sized to fit them, and a beading needle if needed
• Strong tying thread and a small piece of card for measuring your tassel

Part One: Print, cut, gild, laminate and punch

1. Print the bookmarks

Open the bookmark file and print at actual size, or 100%, to keep the intended proportions. Check the preview before printing: turning on “fit to page” can change the finished size. Choose the paper setting that matches your cardstock and allow the ink to dry completely before handling the surface.

2. Cut them out

Use a paper trimmer for the long straight edges, or a ruler and scissors if that is what you have. Follow the outside edge of each bookmark and keep the decorative border even. If you would like a backing, add a thin layer of coordinating paper now and let the adhesive dry flat before continuing.

3. Add a little gold

Run a gold marker carefully along the cut edges and pick out a few border details. Work lightly so the metallic finish complements the artwork. Let it dry fully.

Foil is another lovely option. Use foil with the adhesive or transfer method specified for that product; ordinary foil will not simply stick to an inkjet print. Make a small test first, particularly if the finished piece will go through a hot laminator. Keep bulky embellishments out of the laminating pouch.

4. Laminate the bookmark

Arrange the bookmarks inside a pouch with enough space around each one for a sealed margin. Follow your laminator and pouch instructions, including supported thickness and feeding direction. Let the pouch cool flat, then cut the bookmarks apart, leaving the continuous clear sealed border recommended by the pouch manufacturer. Do not trim right against the paper and open that seal.

5. Punch the attachment hole

Punch a centred hole near the top, leaving a sturdy bridge of material above it. Position it far enough in to pass through the cardstock and laminate, rather than relying on the thin clear border alone. Keep it clear of the main artwork. A narrow cord loop will pass through this hole, so it only needs to be large enough for your chosen attachment.

Part Two: Shrink-film charms and a full lace-and-fibre tassel

1. Turn the stickers into tracing line art

We used the coordinating sticker designs to create a black-and-white line-art image. I placed the shrink film over that image and traced the motifs onto the film. The sword, book and rose, lantern, crown and celestial designs all make lovely little accents.

Use the side and drawing materials specified for your film. Shrink ratios vary, so make one test charm before deciding on the size for a whole batch. You want the finished charms small and light enough to sit comfortably beside the bookmark.

2. Colour with pencil crayons

I coloured the traced images with pencil crayons, using shades that worked with the bookmarks. Keep the colouring fairly light at first: it becomes more concentrated when the film shrinks. Leave the hand-coloured texture visible—that is part of the charm of making them yourself.

3. Cut and punch before shrinking

Cut around each motif, leaving a little space around delicate details and rounding sharp corners. Leave a sturdy tab where the cord will attach and punch the hole now. Both the design and the hole shrink, so check the hole size on your test piece before making the remaining charms.

4. Shrink with the heat tool

I used a heat tool to shrink my coloured pieces. Use this method only if your shrink-film instructions allow it. Work on a heat-resistant surface in a ventilated area, keep the hot tool away from paper and tassel fibres, and use a suitable tool to stop the lightweight piece from blowing away. Follow the film manufacturer's heating instructions rather than a fixed time or distance.

The film may curl as it shrinks. Let it finish shrinking and settle as directed, then allow it to cool before handling. If the product instructions call for flattening, do that with the recommended tool and method. Attach cords only after the charm has cooled completely.

5. Add the little phone-dangle strings

I attached the cooled charms to the little cord loops used for phone dangles. Pass the fine loop through the charm hole, then pass the rest of the attachment through the loop and pull gently to secure it. If your attachment needs a jump ring, use a small smooth ring that fits without forcing the hole. Check that each charm hangs freely.

6. Build a thick, luxurious tassel

For the full tassel, gather a generous mix of ivory lace, dusty rose and plum fibres, copper or rust ribbon, muted olive accents and a few fine antique-gold strands. Mix widths and textures: lace gives softness, ribbon gives body, and fine fibres fill the gaps.

For a tassel around 4 inches long, begin with strips roughly 9–10 inches long so there is room to fold, bind and trim. This is a starting point, not a required measurement; adjust it to suit your bookmark. Lay the strips together with their centres aligned and keep adding until the bundle looks satisfyingly full without becoming too heavy.

Tie a strong hanging cord securely around the midpoint. Fold the bundle in half over that tie, then bind the folded bundle a short distance below the top to form the tassel head. Wrap firmly several times, knot securely and tuck the ends into the fibres. Spread the lace and ribbons so the colours are visible all around, then trim the ends into a soft, slightly varied fringe.

7. Thread the seed-bead strands

Thread a few short strands of seed beads in plum, amber and antique gold. Use cord suited to the bead holes and secure both ends with appropriate knots or findings so the beads cannot slide off. Tie the strands into the tassel beneath the wrapped neck, leaving them visible between the lace and fibres. Keep them short enough to avoid dragging below the tassel.

8. Attach the charms and tassel

Secure the phone-dangle charm loops at the top of the tassel or around its neck, placing the charms where they can be seen against the softer fibres. Use just a few so they remain accents rather than weighing the whole tassel down.

Pass the tassel's narrow hanging loop through the bookmark hole, then pass the tassel through that loop to make a gentle lark's-head attachment. If the bundle is too thick to pass through, use a suitable connecting ring or tie the hanging cord securely instead. Give each attachment a gentle check.

Keep the bookmark flat between the pages and let the tassel and charms rest outside the book. The finished effect is richly layered: gold-edged autumn artwork, soft lace and fibres, tiny seed beads and your own hand-coloured charms.

The finished hero image was created from my bookmark artwork and charm photographs, with my planned full tassel digitally added because the remaining supplies had not arrived in time. The process photographs show my printed bookmarks and hand-coloured shrink-film work.

Find the coordinating printables in My Grandma’s Teacups on Etsy, and join our newsletter for more paper-crafting inspiration.

Optional foiling supplies from A Cherry On Top

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For a little extra shimmer, The Crafter’s Workshop Champagne Gold 6 × 6 Foil Transfer Sheets can be used with double-sided adhesive or the tacky-when-dry medium specified for the foil. Try a narrow adhesive border on a scrap of cardstock first.

For a separate heat-foiling method, consider Gina K Designs Fuse Foiling Gel and the Gina K Designs White Fuse Foiling System. The gel is applied through a stencil and allowed to dry before foiling with the Fuse system. Use foil confirmed compatible with that system and follow the product instructions. The Champagne Gold sheets above are described for adhesive transfer; compatibility with the Fuse gel and machine has not been confirmed. The Fuse is an optional foiling tool, not a required supply for this project. A gold marker is still a simple finishing option.

Paper-crafting adhesive options

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• Uniquely Creative Paper Perfect Quick Dry Glue, 120 ml — a fine-tip liquid adhesive option for paper layers and decorative details. Apply sparingly and let the project dry flat.
• X-Press It Double-Sided Tape, 24 mm × 55 yd — an adhesive option for paper panels, scrapbook layouts and cards. Trim the wide tape to suit smaller tabs or borders, keeping adhesive clear of pocket openings.

Both products were listed as out of stock when checked on November 6, 2026. Check current availability; a suitable paper glue or double-sided tape you already own can be used instead.

A cutting and scoring tool option

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The Stamperia Create Happiness Paper Trimmer at A Cherry On Top includes separate cutting and scoring blades, imperial and metric measurements, and an extendable measuring arm. It is an option for straight paper cuts and scored folds; follow the tool’s instructions and check its supported material thickness. Use a suitable craft knife for chipboard. Listed as in stock when checked on November 6, 2026; availability may change.