How to Help Children Make Holiday Cards

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!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Brushes
• Rubber Stamps
• Stencil Brushes
• Stencil Paints
• Stencil Kits
• Stencils
• Crayola Crayons 24-packs
• Acrylic Paints
• Glitter
• Glues
• Scissors
• Colored Paper
• Colored Pencils
• Colored Pens
• Construction Paper
• Ink Pads
• Art Supplies For Children

1. Clear off a safe work area, and cover it with newspaper or brown paper.
2. Gather all the supplies you will need ahead of time.
3. Give your kids aprons or old clothes to wear while they work.
4. Make sure the area is well-ventilated, especially if you will be using paints, spray adhesives or anything scented.
5. Help your kids fold cards out of construction paper or light cardboard or cardstock, and show them where to make their designs.
6. Talk to your children ahead of time about what sort of designs they will make.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.