Born from a Love of Reading and Making
The TBR Turtle is a small craft business based in Central Ohio , launched in October 2025. It is the culmination of owner Jess Severt’s two great passions: reading and crafting.
Jess is the primary maker and the heart of The TBR Turtle. When she’s not meticulously sorting charms or working with tiny jewelry tools, you can find her with her nose in a book—in any format! She’s a dedicated reader of physical books, audiobooks, comics, fanfics, ebooks (Kindle and Libby girlie!), and webtoons. Her other great passion is slowly, lovingly, turning her entire house into a library, piece by piece, as she systematically moves all the beautiful bookish decor from TJ Maxx to her own shelves.
The origin story of The TBR Turtle is one of friendly insistence! This company was born from the joy of sharing. Jess started by creating unique, handcrafted gifts for her friends and family, and even designing custom bookmarks for her book club. She often hosted creative craft nights focused on bookish themes. The overwhelming enthusiasm, and the outright demands from her reading community, made it clear: these unique products needed to be available for purchase. From there, her desire to celebrate that reader lifestyle evolved into a small business dedicated to creating unique, high-quality accessories that are as fun and engaging as the stories themselves.
Our Unique Offerings
The Bookmark Customizer Experience
Our signature offering is the Bookmark Customizer. This experience lets you design a bookmark that is 100% unique to you.
You start by selecting a handcrafted bookmark base. Then, you choose up to five unique charms from our wide assortment (including many handcrafted options). We assemble your selections on the spot, resulting in a treasured piece of personalized bookish flair!
Host a Bookmark Crafting Workshop!
Beyond making and selling, Jess loves leading hands-on, creative workshops and DIY nights!
The TBR Turtle Bookmark Crafting Workshop is a fun, fully-guided experience perfect for book clubs, parties, or community events. Attendees select their own bookmark blank, add customization via transfer, choose up to five charms, and assemble the final product using provided tools and hardware.
Connect with The TBR Turtle
We love connecting with fellow readers!
See Us Live: We frequently set up shop at events across Central Ohio and beyond. We’d love for you to stop by, say hello, and chat with Jess about your latest five-star read or your current favorite character! Check out our calendar below to see where we’ll be next.
Follow Our Adventures: You can also follow along with our newest creations, favorite reads, and live event setup videos on TikTok and Instagram.