Adding bookmarks in a browser like Microsoft Edge (aka Internet Explorer), Google Chrome or Apple Safari is as easy as clicking a button.

Doing the same thing in a paper notebook, journal or planner is almost as easy. In this post I demonstrate three different ways to bookmark individual pages or a section within your book.

Cutouts

Many dictionaries and Bibles have semi-circle cutouts to make it easier to find words starting with particular letter (dictionaries) or sections (Bibles and cookbooks).

To make cutouts, I purchased a circle punch from Hobby Lobby for $2.99. Most craft stores will have these. I like Hobby Lobby because a 40% discount coupon is conveniently available from the website.

Rather than estimating the mid-point diameter of the circle, I taped small pieces of cardboard on either side of the punch, as pictured below. This way I can be assured of a semi-circle every time. As my small notebook is a Moleskine art journal, I can only punch four pages at a time. However, the punch has a small arrow to line up additional punches.

Washi Tape

Washi tape is a thin adhesive tape that comes in many different colors and designs. Most of the washi tapes I have purchased are either from Daiso – a Japanese version of the dollar store – or from Amazon.

Washi tape is useful because you can cut the tape to a desired size. If you want to emphasize a certain page, use a longer piece of tape. If you need several reference points to mark the beginnings of sections, small pieces might be better.

Sharpie Marker

Making a small mark with a felt tip pen on the edge of a page will allow the ink to soak into the page. Even doing this with one page makes the mark visible when the book is closed. This is a customizable hack as you can mark several pages in a section or mark individuals pages to align with an index.