Homemade holiday cards are a great kid's project ' not only are they a lot cheaper than store-bought greetings, they are also little individual works of art!
Clear off a safe work area, and cover it with newspaper or brown paper.
Step2
Gather all the supplies you will need ahead of time.
Step3
Give your kids aprons or old clothes to wear while they work.
Step4
Make sure the area is well-ventilated, especially if you will be using paints, spray adhesives or anything scented.
Step5
Help your kids fold cards out of construction paper or light cardboard or cardstock, and show them where to make their designs.
Step6
Talk to your children ahead of time about what sort of designs they will make.
Step7
Suggest crayon drawings, rubber stamps, homemade potato prints or stencils. Help them make simple stamps out of potatoes or Styrofoam, if necessary. Ask at a rubber stamp store about embossing powder and techniques, if your kids are old enough.
Step8
Assist them with collages made with magazine pictures, paper snowflakes, gift tags saved from last year, natural "found objects," buttons, beads, fabric scraps and paper doilies.
Step9
Help them make designs with glue, then sprinkle glitter on the glue and shake off the excess. This can be done as a decorative accent or over the entire card.
Step10
Encourage them to be creative ' mistakes can usually be camouflaged easily, and supplies are fairly cheap.
Tips & Warnings
If your kids want to add photographs to their cards, get some self-adhesive photo corners from the scrapbooking section of your local crafts store.
Toddler handprints can make great reindeer cards. Just get your toddler to make handprint antlers, then draw in the face (and a red nose?) yourself.
Help your children finish off their designs, if necessary, either by adding little details or sketches or by writing captions for them.
Let them add holiday scents to their work with a few drops of essential oil or a glued-on sprinkle of potpourri if you like.
Don't use newspaper to cover your work area if you are using light-colored supplies; newsprint can come off on hands and handiwork.
Supervise all paint and adhesive use carefully, and remember that some essential oils can stain.
Scissors can be dangerous. Get special kids' scissors for young children, or just do the cutting yourself.
Don't forget cleanup. Make sure your children clean up after themselves; this includes discarding soiled newspapers, washing rubber stamps carefully, and putting all paints, stamp pads and other supplies away in their proper place.
If your kids will be working with paint, encourage them to stick with just two or three colors. This will reduce the possibility of muddy mixed colors, make their designs look better, and make cleanup easier.
on 2/14/2007
After your children our done making their cards and art work have them use a spray coating Preserve Your Memories II. It won't change the texture of material but will protect it. It is VOC exempt and provides a write erasable surface.water repellent, acid free, UV blocker. It is an all in one spray coating.
Comments
bion said
on 2/14/2007 After your children our done making their cards and art work have them use a spray coating Preserve Your Memories II. It won't change the texture of material but will protect it. It is VOC exempt and provides a write erasable surface.water repellent, acid free, UV blocker. It is an all in one spray coating.