How to Make Laminated Bookmarks- With Free Printable Bookmarks and Cutting File

Learn how to make laminated bookmarks with the Silhouette Cameo 3. Plus Grab these FREE chubby unicorn and dinosaur printable bookmarks and Silhouette studio design file!

Am I the only person loving the fat and chubby unicorn trend?! I loved it so much I created these chubby unicorn bookmarks just in time for back to school. These chubby unicorns are cute, fun and perfect for all ages. My son, isn’t feeling these unicorns, so I added a dinosaur design for boys, too! Plus I’m giving them away FREE so you can make your printable bookmarks TODAY!

These can be used in books, planners, and journals. They also would make for great party favors for a chubby unicorn party. You could just print and cut these out, or if you ~~can’t cut a straight line to save your life~~ are crafty like me, you can make them more durable and last longer by using a laminator and cutting machine. If you have kids or love crafting but don’t have a cutting machine, what are you waiting on?

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PAY FOR MY COFFEE AND I WAS PROVIDED COMPLIMENTARY CRAFT SUPPLIES BY SILHOUETTE AMERICA. SEE FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.

I used my Silhouette Cameo 3 to cut these fat, chubby unicorn bookmarks out. At first, I was worried that it would not cut. But after playing around with the settings and laminating pouch thickness, I was able to get a perfect cut! Yes, the Silhouette Cameo 3 can cut laminate! I was so stoked that I had to share! So if you want to know how to create and cut these super cute chubby unicorn bookmarks using the Cameo, keep reading. Or if you just want the design file, scroll to the bottom.

How to Cut Laminate Bookmarks

I printed my design from the Silhouette Studio, with registration marks on. The paper that I used was this basic cardstock from amazon. It’s not as thick as the cardstock that I normally use, but that was intentional because laminating it will add the thickness you need.

After printing, I used this laminator to laminate the design on the hot setting. I tried a 5 mil thickness at first, but it was too thick for the Cameo to cut through with my standard blade, which is understandable. Instead, I used 3mil laminating pouches, which still provided the durability that I needed.

Finally, it was time to cut. When placing your laminated page on your mat, be sure to line up the actual printed page to the guidelines on the mat. Silhouette does not list laminate as a materials choice, so I had to play around with the settings. I ended up creating and “adding new material type” with the settings that worked for me shown below. Just keep in mind that I have a new autoblade, so if your blade is dull, you might want to pick up a new blade.

Cameo 3 Settings to Cut 3 mil Laminate

BLADE: 10
SPEED: 1
FORCE: 33
PASSES: 1

I used a speed of one so the cut could be as accurate as possible, without too much wear on the blade. I did have to crank it to maximum blade depth, but I’ll be picking up a deep-cut blade soon, which should work even better. QUICK TIP: When cutting laminated paper, try to cut in a dimly lit setting. You do not want the light to create a glare on the laminate that may throw off the reading of the registration marks.

I’m so glad this worked, because now I will be making tons of bookmarks for myself and my son’s classmates for the new school year!