There are plenty of card DIY projects out there, but how many of them can you actually do with your children? We picked some of our favorite card making ideas to share with your children that will keep them interested and working the creative side of their brain!

Supplies Needed

To make these simple cards with your kids, you need nothing more than crayons, paint, and paper. But the more options you have, the better for your children! A variety of colors and paints can help kids show their creative side, and you will get some adorable cards as a result. Here are some additional supplies that you may want to get:

• glue
• glitter
• buttons
• colored paper
• pens
• cotton wool
• beads
• kitchen foil
• felt

Onto the homemade card ideas!

Natural Design

Leaf printing is a great activity for children that also double as beautiful card designs. Go to your garden or your local park and collect leaves that have already fallen. Then ask your child to apply a small amount of paint on each leaf, and press it onto the card – you will see the veins of the leaf, creating a realistic print!

This activity can get messy so if you have preschoolers, you may want to prepare the surface you are working on with newspapers or butcher paper.

Recycled Design

You and your children can make new cards from recycled materials and images. For example, old card packaging can become a card base, while scraps of old clothes, newspapers and food wrappers can turn into cute decorations. You can help your child cut out images from magazines and glue them onto your cards. You can even use cleaned up foil wrappers to add a sparkle! The best thing is that every design will be unique. Not only is this a free way to create your own cards, but you can also teach your children about recycling and sustainable living.

Pressed Flower Design

For this card making design, ask your child to cut out a strip of green paper. Then cut slits into the strip of paper like grass. Then use dried flowers  to “plant” them in the grass. Here’s a tip: try pressing the flowers between books to make sure they don’t have any moisture left in them. Make sure to help your child glue flowers.

Stick-It Card Design

For this simple card, you will need to take colored sticky notes. Ask your child to write a special message on sticky notes, for example birthday wishes, fun memories, or even small drawings. Then glue the notes to the center of the card. Your child can also draw something in the card that is related to the messages on the notes.

Textured Designs

Take textured card paper in a variety of colors and cut out tiny squares. Glue the different textures and colors onto the card to form a quilt like pattern. Don’t forget to add a cute message using pens on each square.

Once you set up these card making projects, you can let your child add their own ideas and make new designs. This will really help unveil their creativity!