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Turn birthday cards into an easy art project for your kids
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One Saturday, just before I was taking my daughter to a birthday party, I realized I did not have a card to go with the gift. Should I stop at the store and make us even later than we were? Should I 
just tell the child’s mother the present is from my daughter? I thought quickly (which doesn’t seem to happen often) and looked in my supply of art papers, cards and “to be printed” invitation stock. Eureka! I grabbed a blank panel card and matching envelope. The washable markers were already on the coffee table where my daughter had been coloring.
“Guess what, Antonia?” I enthusiastically asked my three-year-old. (I have found that acting excited about any activity – from folding laundry to putting on pajamas – makes your kid think it will be fun and thus want to participate.)
“What?” she responded with matched excitement in her voice.
“You get to do an art project!”
She looked confused. “But I thought we were going to Brian’s birthday party?”
“We are! But first you get to MAKE him a birthday card!”
And so began our tradition of making custom birthday cards for all our friends. Now, before each party, we pick out a blank card and envelope from my overflow supply, and Antonia creates a work of art to go with the gift. It’s easy, fun, inexpensive, and you can do it with your kids, too.
If your child can’t yet write, use a marker of her choosing and outline the birthday boy or girl’s name on the envelope and on the card. Then, let your child use markers, crayons, glitter, paint, stickers – whatever you have in your art supply cabinet – to fill in the letters and decorate the birthday card and envelope.
The benefits of this activity are multiple:
- Your child gets to express himself artistically and feel good about creating a custom-designed card for his friend.
- The recipient of this one-of-a-kind design is delighted to get a thoughtful, personalized card along with the gift from your child.
- Less stress for multitasking parents who forgot to buy a birthday card more than five minutes before the party.
- Store-bought cards are expensive and disposable. Save a few bucks that you can use toward the present instead.
Want more ideas on creating custom birthday cards and more? Check out these creative websites:
Free greeting cards and craft projects: Craft Ideas.info
Free kids craft ideas and activities: Creative Kids at Home
Creative ideas for kids and adults: Atlanta Family Crafts Examiner
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