Nothing marks your place quite like a cat that pops out of your book. With one square of paper and a few quiet minutes, you can fold this origami cat bookmark that hooks over the corner of a page, its little ears standing up and its face peeking over the words. No glue, no cutting, just paper and patience.

The tutorial photographs every fold, starting with a single diagonal crease and ending with the ears and face. The only slightly fiddly part is creasing firmly where the layers bunch up around the cheeks, and the step-by-step photos make it easy to follow. Once you have folded one, you will probably want to make a whole row of them in different colors for every book on your shelf.

How to fold a cat bookmark

STEP 1. Make a crease diagonally.

STEP 2. Fold it like this.

STEP 3. Turn it over and fold it so that the red line matches the blue line.

STEP 4. Align the blue line with the red line.

STEP 5. Bring the corner of ★ to the center.

STEP 6. Once it looks like this, turn the model over.

STEP 7. Fold it along the dotted line (so that the back side is raised)

STEP 8. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 9. Turn it over, then fold inward along the dotted line.

STEP 10. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 11. Turn one layer over.

STEP 12. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 13. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 14. Put the flap you just folded back in place to reveal an ear, then fold the ear on the left side the same way.

STEP 15. Turn it over.

STEP 16. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 17. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 18. Your origami cat bookmark is complete!

Folding Tips

The layers overlap around the face, so crease them firmly with your fingernail.

The little cat face peeking out of your book is adorable!

Pink, light blue, and pastel cat bookmarks look lovely too.