This week, while sorting out my bookshelves and getting sidetracked by loved and long-forgotten kids’ books, I remembered how much I also coveted bookplates. Quite often I’d enter colouring competitions in the local paper, and even if I didn’t win a prize, I’d get a lovely embossed sticky-backed bookplate in the post instead.

So to celebrate being a lifelong bookworm, I present to you a free printable bookplate (decorated with cats, of course). Great for labelling books the old-school way! Here’s what you need to do:

• Download the A4 template
• Print onto nice thick paper (or sticky paper, if you like)
• Cut out carefully
• Glue onto the right side of the book’s endpaper
• Decorate with your name (in your best curly handwriting)
• Feel reassured that if lost, your book will be returned to its rightful owner