Here are a few fun ideas for cards to make with grandchildren for an indoor crafting adventure.
Cooler weather means more time for indoor activities, and what better way to take advantage of fall and winter than with handmade cards? Making cards is a fantastic way to keep grandchildren busy and productive, while also allowing them to explore their creativity. Plus, you’ll get the added benefit of handmade cards to send to friends and family for the holidays. Let’s take a look at a few ideas for handmade cards that the grandkids will love.
Pop-Up Cards
Having an interactive element, like a pop-up in the center of the card, is a fun way to get creative and give the recipient an exciting surprise. Pop-up cards can be easy to make, and can come in a variety of different shapes, colors, and themes. Take a look at this step-by-step how-to with pictures for a baseline; then, customize your pop-up element with drawings, stickers, fabric, or cut paper for a twist. You can create cards for upcoming holidays, use them as invitations to a dinner party, or as just-because cards for friends and family. Try having your grandkids experiment with the shape of the pop-up element for an extra-exciting finish.
Watercolor Cards
Using watercolors for handmade cards is a classic, but it’s a staple for a reason. Watercolors are great for kids and adults alike, and can create wonderful abstract or landscape paintings. Our top tip? Make sure you grab watercolor-specific paper, like cotton, for your card-making craft. This ensures that the paper doesn’t warp or buckle when water is added to it.
You can try sketching an outline of flowers, an image of nature, or a holiday design, or work on seamlessly blending colors for an abstract image with colors that fit your theme. Depending on the age of your grandkids, you can share color theory, brush movement, or help them pick a theme or idea.
Quilted Fabric Look-Alike
If you love the look of a classic quilt, why not try recreating that on a card? If you have fabric scraps, you can cut them into small pieces and help your grandkids glue them on to the cards for a fun, one-of-a-kind, patchwork quilt-inspired look. Be sure to use heavy paper to avoid warping from wet glue, or have the kids lay out the pattern they desire and help them hot-glue it down. This can be a great way to create from scraps, and the kids may really enjoy cutting and gluing fabric down.
Stamps
Stamping cards is a way to get the same look every time if you’re sending many cards, but it can also be a super fun way for kids to get involved and be creative. You can use stamps to create beautiful, modern, and elegant cards for holiday party invites, Christmas cards, or even thank-you cards for presents. But you can also use stamps for a unique pattern, design, or as an outline for kids to color in. Grandkids can choose which stamps and what color of ink to use, and create designs from that. But they can also fill in the stamps with colored pencil or crayon drawings, or add to the scenery or background. This is especially great for younger children as it’s safe and doesn’t require as much dexterity or fine motor skills.
Splatter Painting
What kid doesn’t love to make a mess with paint? If you have room outside and the weather is still relatively warm, try splatter painting on some grass with acrylic paint. This is a great way to make many cards at once and get multiple children involved at the same time. Lay out a few rows and columns of paper, put the paint into small containers, and let the grandkids use brushes to splatter paint all over the paper. Try using colors for fall, an upcoming holiday, or your grandkid’s favorites for a funky, truly unique handmade card. You can then write or stamp over the paint for a festive background, or leave the front as-is for a statement piece.
These are just a few of the ideas we’ve gathered for inspiration for your next craft project with the grandkids. Try incorporating crafts or mediums they’re enjoying, and ensure the activity is age-appropriate for their motor skills. Be sure to visit the CapTel blog for more ideas.
