It’s a great time to make a card for Mother’s Day on May 12, and here are a few ideas to help you make your own greeting cards! You might need some help with a couple of these steps so grab your adult and get creative.
Step 1. Making the a Greeting card base
Use colored paper or make some marbled paper for the main part of your card. Then fold it into the size card you want. Here are some examples for you.
What you’ll need:
Marbled paper – this is so much fun!
• white paper (card stock or printer paper)
• shallow baking sheet
• foam shaving cream (not gel)
• food coloring or mixed watercolor paint
• spatula or spreader (for spreading the shaving cream, and for getting the shaving cream off the paper)
• skewer or chopstick (for swirling)
• spatula or expired credit card (for scraping)
1. Squirt shaving cream all over the baking sheet. Remember you need the foamy kind.
2. Use your spatula to spread the shaving cream as flat as you can on the baking sheet.
3. Put dots of color on the shaving cream
4. Use a chopstick or skewer to swirl the colors through the shaving cream. Mix it until you are happy with it.
5. Lay the paper down on shaving cream and press lightly. Leave it there for about 30 seconds.
6. Pull the paper up and use the spatula to scrape the shaving cream.
7. Let your marbled paper dry.
Step 2. Decorating Ideas
Draw a picture for the front of your card
Bright colorful drawings are great on the front of any greeting card. Then cut out your picture and stick it on the front. Draw a smaller picture using the same colors to put on the inside too.
Add a photo for the front of your card
Add a photo of the person you are making the card for. See if you can find a picture with both of you in it. Your adult can help you print a photo the right size for your card.
Pressing flowers and leaves with waxed paper
The easiest way to press flowers is by using waxed paper. The wax helps the flower keep its color. Best flowers to press are thin ones like pansies, daisies, and leaves like ferns, but experiment with flowers you find.
1. Take a sheet of waxed paper and fold in half.
2. Place your flowers in the middle of the wax paper near the fold.
3. Put a few sheets of paper under the wax paper and cover the waxed paper with an old pillowcase or other thin cloth.
4. Ironing – your adult can help with this step – press with a warm iron on a low to medium setting. The cloth prevents the iron from acquiring a waxy residue.
5. Let your flowers cool off completely before gluing on your card.
You can use dried or fresh flowers. Flat flowers and foliage are easier to press. When you are done, you can glue them to the front of a folded piece of paper.
Finished with your card for mom? Learn how to create a magical fairy garden!