Use Printmaking to Create Handmade Cards

December is a popular month to share cards of all types. Family photo collages, life updates, simple holiday messages, glitter-covered designs, new school pictures, and more. There’s something for everyone’s taste when delivering seasonal greetings. Homemade cards are also on the list and bring some personal flair to the tradition.

Adults and children alike have found cardmaking to be a satisfying hobby. Those on the receiving end also know and appreciate how much work goes into creating such one-of-a-kind cards. Is there anything better than opening an envelope addressed by a little one using crayons or delightfully crooked letters? (The answer is no!)

Dazzle your friends and relatives by using printmaking to enhance the cardmaking experience with the young artists in your home. Trust us, they’ll love any excuse to try a new, engaging, hands-on technique. And you’ll love seeing their creative masterpieces!

Our friends, Myles (3) and Olivia (8), used a collection of materials to make their prints. Think leaves, pinecones, flowers, evergreen sprigs, poinsettia petals, citrus slices, etc. Natural items make beautiful shapes, but you can also get creative by using items found around your home. For example, you could use a plastic animal from the toy bin to make footprints (as if it’s traveling through a grove of pine trees). What ideas do you have?

Gather these things:

• Cardstock or blank notecards
• Assorted paint colors
• Collected natural materials
• Paintbrushes or sponges, optional

Start creating:

1. Prepare a blank notecard or fold your cardstock in half to begin.
2. Dip the items you’ve collected in paint and then stamp them on the cards to create a unique design. You could also fingerpaint the item or use a sponge or brush to apply paint.
3. For older children, consider using a piece of scrap paper to test the prints and know what design will be made by the object in your hand before committing it to your card.
4. Allow the cards to dry completely before you decide who will receive them.
5. Now, add sweet notes to share them with the people you love or surprise someone you don’t know with an encouraging message to lift their spirits during the holiday season.