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What a Card: Wow Family and Friends with Homemade Greetings

By Jason Wolfe | Published October 31,2012 | Google+

Greeting cards have come a long way since they were first exchanged by the Ancient Chinese and Egyptians. Back then cards were used to convey good will greetings for auspicious occasions. This practice only reached Europe by the early 1400s. At the time, they were created with woodcuts or made by hand. Greeting cards really reached their peak during the Victorian era. Improved printing technology meant that they could be mass-produced at low prices. Even so, the Victorians enjoyed making their own cards and would often use ribbons, pressed flowers, or cut-outs as embellishments. By the mid-1800s, Christmas cards became trendy. People soon began to see that greeting cards could spawn an industry of their own. Several companies were started, dedicated entirely to the production of greeting cards. In the early days, greeting cards were quite formal and elaborate, with detailed illustrations. The 1970s saw a reversal in this trend; designers began to create humorous, cartoon-like illustrations paired with witty text. Today this style has become the norm for most greeting cards. Although greeting cards are still widely available, many people today send e-cards instead.

Some of the main occasions when we send greeting cards include religious holidays and personal events (such as birthdays and weddings). There are also plenty of other smaller reasons that people send cards. They might send a card to let someone know that they are thinking about them, or to wish them well. Instead of sending a store-purchased card or an e-card, a nicer version is to send a homemade card. Cards made by hand are a thoughtful and creative way to show someone that you care about them. It is a lot of fun to get together as a family and create a few cards. This activity is great for encouraging children to practice their artistic talents, and it also serves as an excellent project for rainy days. Together, parents and kids can make batches of cards for later use. To help kids get started, parents can assemble a card craft box in advance. This might include different types of papers or card stock, coloring pencils, paints, stickers, glitter, glue, ribbon, and other decorative items. Gluing on photographs of the family is another way to decorate the front of a card. Instead of only making a standard flat card, children can also learn how to make a 3-D or pop-out card. Alternatively, they can cut cards into shapes, such as Christmas trees or Easter eggs. There are several websites that feature greeting card templates, tutorials, and print-ables that demonstrate these techniques and much more. Have a look at the greeting card resources below for tips and inspiration.

Christmas / Chanukkah

  • Christmas Tree Card – Print out multiple copies of this Christmas card template and let the kids color and personalize it.

  • Hanukkah Cards – These step-by-step instructions explain how to make beautiful Hanukkah cards from scratch.

  • Christmas Cards – Find inspiration here for a variety of different, creative Christmas cards to make with the kids.

New Years / Rosh Hashanah

  • New Years Card – Find instructions here for a cute pop-out New Year’s card project, as well as several other related crafts.

  • Rosh Hashanah Card – An illustrated online tutorial explains how to create a 3-D Shanah Tovah card. It also includes a free download-able template.

  • Apple Rosh Hashanah Card – Since apples are a symbolic food associated with Rosh Hashanah, this colorful card makes a perfect greeting.

Birthdays

Weddings

Valentines

  • Cartoon Valentines – Kids can pick from an assortment of their favorite cartoon characters, such as Dora the Explorer, to make some cute, colorful Valentine’s Day cards.

  • Nature Valentines – These witty Valentine’s Day card templates feature animal pictures to help promote nature and wildlife to kids.

  • Dinosaur Valentines – For most kids, few things are as exciting as dinosaurs, even on the most romantic day of the year!

Get Well

  • Bee Well Card (PDF) – Print and fold this card into quarters and let children color it in themselves.

  • Get Well Card (PDF) – This illustrated template comes with instructions to show kids how to make and color it.

Other Card Resources

  • Photo Cards – Preserve family moments along with your sentiments with photo cards.

  • Flowers for Gratitude – These card instructions are a little more complex to carry out but the result is worth it.

  • Love it – Inspiration can come from anywhere, it’s all in how you utilize what’s around.

  • Handmade and Handsome – Beautiful cards can be made in an afternoon, and it can be fun too!