Do you ever have things that you love to do, but never get around to doing?
I feel that way about crafty & art stuff.
Art was my minor in my undergrad studies. Though I’ve mentioned before, I never quite fit in with people who could actually, you know, draw & paint–I was just attracted to the idea of creating beautiful things.
But back to the crafty & art stuff.
I think part of my excuse for not doing it more often (though I do LOVE to pin ideas & projects as evidenced by my overstuffed DIY pinterest board) is 1) money–craft supplies can add up quickly! & 2) I have to make something that has some function, otherwise I just see it as something to clutter up my house.
Which brings me to Christmas cards.
If I could make money designing & creating cards (which, I’m sure those people exist), I would. But since I can’t, the next best thing, or perhaps even better, is to make cards for our friends & family. Since this is our first year really far away from all family & many friends, we feel it important to send an extra thoughtful card with our family Christmas photo.
Also, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, & I wanted to the kids to be able to join in too.
I got a lot of inspiration from pinterest, then, with a few loose ideas of what I wanted to do, went to Micheal’s craft store with Mali & Hyrum. I haven’t been there in awhile & my brain nearly exploded with the burgeoning shelves, filled with who knows what.
Walking into a craft store like Micheal’s (at least the one I went to) was a full-on sensory experience. The smell of paper, candles, pine. Everything seemed to be covered in a thin layer of glitter.
Overwhelmed by the possibilities, as well as feeling a little claustrophobic due to the floor to ceiling cluttered shelves (it’s nothing like Target–where I feel so calm & peaceful with the wide open spaces & clean shelving), I came across some lovely natural blank cards & envelopes which were fortuitously placed next to the washi tape.
I thought–hey! washi tape cards.
Easy, frugal, & I think, quite charming.
materials:
(all items were purchased at Micheal’s)
natural cards & envelopes (got 40 for $5.99–40% off)
a non-bleed fine point black sharpie permanent marker ($1.50)
Christmas themed washi tape ($2.99 for 2 rolls–also 40% off)
fine white paint pen (pack of two for $2.99)
scissors
colored pencils
googly eyes & red/black poms (optional–for reindeer cards)
my total cost (with tax): about $15
As far as how to make, rather than tell you, I’ll just show you some examples of what we did.
Though I will add, I think the key to making these cards is to keep things simple.
The white paint pen, the fine point sharpie, the washi tape, & the natural brown paper blend together beautifully.
Not a lot of embellishment is needed!
I got inspiration for the cute little reindeer bird from this pin (which looks like they actually use fabric for the bird’s body). Love it because it’s cute & so easy to draw!
I made this card using googly eyes & poms, & my kids used it as a template to make their own.
side note: I lost my fine point sharpie pen for a moment (& nearly had a nervous breakdown), & had to resort to using a regular sharpie–wasn’t my first choice, but I made it work. I think the fine lines of the fine point sharpie pen look much more elegant.
The kid’s version…
(I love Asher’s bramble reindeer horns on the bottom.)
Mali’s reindeer & snowman using washi tape.
I just love the combo of the white paint pen & the fine point sharpie.
The fine point sharpie makes almost any handwriting look good!
More ideas–
♥
Are you into DIY stuff? Will you be making anything this Christmas?
Need some DIY inspiration?
Lacy has a roundup of 30+ DIY gifts for your little ones.
& this AWESOME roundup of simple simple DIY 75 gifts under $5.
Also, check out my kids + DIY & my DIY pinterest boards.
Frugal Holidays Part 1: simple gifting
Frugal Holidays Part 2: why dejunking before the holidays is essential
Frugal Holidays Part 4: 5 of our fave Christmas traditions
Frugal Holidays Part 5: DIY clay baked ornaments
♥♥
P.S. Did you enter my giveaway for a bring joy tote (winners will be announced 11/29)–I’m giving 3 away. AND it’s easy! Just leave a comment on this post.
Also, you can get 2 totes for only $16 through November 30. Just go here & enter blackFriday16 at checkout!
Comments