A Paisley bookmark, unlike your regular bookmark, will be held on to and treasured, and will therefore see a few books in its life.
The humble bookmark is not one of history’s luckier little fellows. With the advent of the computer, the Kindle, and other such devices, it has become marginalised to some extent.
But even though it has become unnecessary in certain situations because millions of readers still prefer paper books, the brave little bookmark is not going anywhere soon.
And we at Just Paisley think that is great news!
Why do we get attached to bookmarks?
There is just something very reassuring about a bookmark. Most people get exposed to bookmarks when they are young. When caring adults in our circle try to encourage our development, they will provide us with books and sometimes bookmarks.
And of course, the bookmarks we receive when we are young tend to remain special. Look at the Paisley bookmarks below. If you received these at 5 or 6, don’t you think it likely you would treasure them for the rest of your life – particularly if they were received from someone special in your life? In this case, it might also encourage you to develop a life-long love of the Paisley Pattern – and that can’t be bad either, can it?
And for some people, the bookmark becomes more important than the book. Books can be good or bad. They can be instantly forgettable or they can be loved. Regardless of what we think of the book, it is placed to the side when finished. Before long, it will be passed to someone else, stored away in a box, or sold, or if it is considered special, it is placed as a ‘special one’ in the bookcase.
If it is really special, it is likely to be read again at some future date, although that date will likely be some time off.
And what happens to the bookmark you used to chart your progress through that book? Will it remain with the book you so loved? If so, will it sit silently on the last page – a testament to the fact you finished the book? Or, will it sit inside the front cover, the back cover, or just be randomly placed somewhere in the middle of the book?
No, the book is no longer relevant to it. When the book is finished, it is time for the bookmark to move on.
And where does it go? Unless there is a never-ending pipeline of books, and for some people, there is, it is likely the bookmark will be placed in a drawer. And that is dangerous for the bookmark.
Because there is no ‘bookmark drawer’. Bookmarks have no natural home other than the book they are currently residing within. That means they are easily lost, forgotten about, or damaged.
For the occasional reader, by the time they pick up another book, they will probably have forgotten where the bookmark is. Is it in the last book they read (which they probably don’t remember the title of), or is it in a drawer (if so, which drawer), or has it been thrown out in error?
And so, while the bookmark patiently waits for its next book, there is every likelihood it will be disappointed because its owner just doesn’t know where it is.
And so, what happens next? Unfortunately for the bookmark, as beautiful as it is, it has a host of competitors, some of which cost virtually nothing.
One of its biggest enemies is the A4 piece of paper. Folded enough times, the A4 replacement DIY bookmark can accomplish most of the tasks of the most beautiful bookmark.
Most, but not all.
A well-made bookmark, whether laminated or not, will remain sturdy and functional while its folded A4 replacement will fray, become in danger of ripping, and ultimately be snatched from the book when its owner needs a piece of paper to write on in an emergency.
Of course, when the person returns to their book, they will need to thumb through it to find out where they left off. There is no way of doing this without reading a part of the book they haven’t yet read, and they will therefore feel that sense of disgust when they find out a plot line that they should not know at that point. We now know it as a ‘spoiler’.
And of course, they berate themselves.
‘How could I not have stuck something in the book when I took the paper out – a straw, a teaspoon, anything that could have been used as a holding agent?’
But, they didn’t! And now they have paid the price. (These people are also likely to be the ones who write their passwords and PIN codes on the piece of paper – don’t become one of these people!)
And in the future? Some of these people will still not be convinced of the need for a bookmark. They will fold over the book page, thinking that when they pick up the book, it will fall open at the folded-over page. Sorry, it does not work that way!
‘Maybe someone will buy me a bookmark for Christmas,’ they think. But, of course, they don’t. Because when it comes to Christmas, bookmarks tend to be forgotten in the stampede for more exciting presents.
But bookmarks make wonderful gifts. They can be personalised in many ways and are associated with thoughtfulness and education. It is no wonder they have become such loved mementos and in some cases, family heirlooms.
It is likely that in the US, millions of people hold their original Bibles – given to them as children – with passages marked by a bookmark that was given at the same time as the Bible.
For some, the bookmark will become much more important than the book they read. The books become temporary friends, while the bookmark becomes a constant in their life. The books come and go, but the bookmark remains.
And, of course, bookmarks, because they are such personal items, have become collectors’ items.
There is no limit to the design of a bookmark, other than it fulfills its required use as a page marker. That has given a license for the designer to create a bookmark from the most beautiful and expensive materials, in beautiful designs, and at beautiful prices!
So, if you are happy with folding over a piece of paper and creating a simple paper bookmark, or using a piece of an old cardboard box – please continue! But, if you want to put something classy between your pages, why not treat yourself to a real bookmark – and why not a Paisley bookmark?
And if you do go for a Paisley bookmark, why not buy a pair? That way, once laminated, they can also be proudly worn as a pair of earrings. In this case, some people will congratulate you on your ingenuity (and good taste), while others will likely ignore you completely.
And if you want to impress with a thoughtful gift that will be remembered for a very long time (no, the piece of paper or box is out), then why not invest in a beautiful Paisley Pattern bookmark with tassels?
A bookmark is not expensive and if also given with a wonderful book, will be considered an unusually thoughtful gift. And of course, once the book is read, the receiver will continue to think about you when they use the bookmark on their upcoming literary adventures.
