Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with some hot cocoa and a book or three!
When I was little, my parents let me stay up as late as I wanted as long as I was in bed reading. I’d almost always conk out with a book on my face around 9:00. Things haven’t changed much in 40 years, although now I have to roll over and turn off my own light.
Smalls is an avid reader and, like me, will stay up reading as late as his little peepers will stay open. When I tuck him in at night, I grab whatever piece of paper is handy and tuck it into his book to save his place. He has a million bookmarks but they always get lost inside books, under the bed, or in the sofa cushions.
I decided to make a bookmark for him that was big enough to not get lost. (It’ll still probably get lost.)
When I was thinking about design, I ran through the usual bookmark ideas (bookworms, flattened animals, plain rectangles) and couldn’t come up with anything I was excited about. Then one night while reading Smalls his bedtime story, I spotted Nibbles on the bookshelf.
What could be more perfect than a book monster bookmark?!
If you’re not familiar with Nibbles, he’s a happy, mischievous monster who loves books. He spends his days nibbling on soap, toes, clocks, and his most favorite thing….books.
Nibbles: The Book Monster is one of our favorite books to read together because there are so many layers. The main story is about Nibbles eating through books. But Nibbles also works his way through books-within-a-book, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk.
It’s so much fun to watch Nibbles’ adventures as he chomps his way through these classics. The best part about this book is how interactive it is, because while you’re reading you’re trying to find Nibbles and hopefully keep him from leaving teeth marks in any other books. Just when you think you’ve captured him…
*poof*
He’s off to chomp through another book.
So I immediately grabbed my hook and some yellow yarn and started playing around with shapes and sizing. A few hours later, Nibbles: The Book Monster crochet bookmark was born.
This pattern is an easy-to-intermediate level crochet pattern that includes some amigurumi techniques, but I’ve provided photos to help you through the trickier parts.
Crochet Nibbles is the same size as the Nibbles on the book cover. So if you don’t need a bookmark, he’s the perfect prop to play with as you’re reading the book – or any book – because there is nothing book monsters love more than bedtime stories!
Nibbles starts out being worked in continuous rounds, but his arms and legs are worked flat. This bookmark is generously sized so you don’t lose it along with all of the other bookmarks that have gone missing.
Materials needed:
- Yellow and white worsted weight yarn
- White, black, and pink felt
- Hot glue gun + glue or tacky glue (hot glue is preferred, but if you have kiddos who are gentle with things, unlike mine, you could get away with craft glue).
- Small amount of black embroidery floss.
- Yarn needle, embroidery needle, and stitch marker.
Nibbles’ Horns (make 2)
- With white yarn, ch 3, turn
- sc 2, ch 1, turn
- dec
- bind off, weave in ends.
Nibbles’ Body, Arms, and Legs (make 2)
- With yellow yarn, begin with a magic loop
- sc 6 into ML (6)
- inc around (12)
- {sc 1, inc} around (18)
- {sc 2, inc} around (24)
- {sc 3, inc} around (30)
- {sc 4, inc} around (36)
Stop working in rounds and begin working in flat rows.
- sc 4, ch1, turn
- sc 3, ch 1, turn
- sc 3, ch 1, turn
- dec, sc 1, ch 1, turn
- sc 2
- sc 4 down the side of the 4 previous rows (follow the direction of the arrows in the photo), then sc 19, ch 1, turn
- sc 3, ch 1, turn
- sc 3, ch 1, turn
- dec, sc 1, ch 1, turn
- sc 2, ch 1, turn
- Break yarn, weave in ends.
The top of Nibbles’ head is the section of the circle with less stitches between the arms.
- Count 5 stitches from Nibbles’ armpit and join yarn with sl st, sc 2, ch 1, turn
- sc 2, ch 1, turn
Repeat row 20 for five more rows.
- sc 2, ch 3, turn
- sc 4, break yarn, weave in end
- Count 3 sts from inside of 1st leg (as shown in photo below), then join yarn in 4th st and repeat rows 20-22 above.
DO NOT BREAK YARN AFTER SECOND NIBBLES BODY. (You’re going to crochet both body pieces together.)
Bookmark (make 1)
- ch 7, turn
- hdc 6, ch 3, turn
- dc 6, ch 2, turn
Repeat rows 2 and 3 ten times.
- Break yarn, leave long tail for sewing.
Next steps
- Embroider Nibbles’ mouth. Using embroider floss doubled, between 4th and 5th rows of Nibbles’ body, stitch Nibbles’ mouth following the curve of the round.
- Return to the live stitch and the end of row 23. Line up the two body pieces and pin them together, pinning the two horns between the layers on Nibbles’ head. Work evenly around the outside edges, using sl st around the legs and sc around the arms and body. Break yarn and weave in ends.
- Next we’re going to make Nibbles’ hands. Join yarn at the top of Nibbles’ arm, ch 5, sl st in beg st, sc in next st, ch 5, sl st in beg st, ch 5, sl st in beg st, break yarn, weave in ends. (You’ll have made three “finger” loops.)
- For eyes, trace a quarter on white felt and cut it out (make two).
- For pupils, trace a quarter on black felt and cut it out (make two). Cut those circles into football shapes.
- From white felt, cut two small triangles for Nibbles’ fangs.
- From pink felt, cut a small tongue shape for Nibbles’ tongue.
- Stitch bookmark onto Nibbles’ back.
- Glue felt pieces onto Nibbles.
We’ve had a lot of fun playing with Nibbles, and I hope he inspires your little ones to become book monsters who love to chomp through books themselves.
This is my last post before Christmas, so I hope you enjoy the heck out of whatever holiday you celebrate and that lots of joy finds its way to you!
Until next time!
-Jen
Find more great books to read with your new bookmark HERE:
9 of our Family’s All-Time Favorite Books for Kids
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He’s adorable. I’ve never heard of Nibbles before but the books look like something my girls would love. I’ll have to look into him.
Jamie
Super cute! I love that you created this bookmark based on a children’s book! Such a creative idea and wonderful for a gift! Thanks for joining my link up On the Edge.
Shelbee