Need some last-minute cards for the big holiday weekend? Our kids have been making their own greeting cards since they were able to hold a crayon, but I thought it was time to shake things up and introduce a new technique: marbleizing!

What you’ll need:
• Letter-size pieces of card stock (available from office supply stores)
• Foam shaving cream
• Food colouring
• Fork or toothpick
• Tray or foil pie plate
• Bowl

Tip: I recommend clearing off the dining room table and spreading out a plastic tablecloth for this one.

Directions:

1. Cut your card stock to size. We cut each sheet in half and folded it so each finished card measures 4 ½” x 5 ½”.

2. Squirt some shaving cream into the tray and dot with food colouring. (For little kids this—along with the washing up of the tray—might be the most exciting part of this craft.)

 

 

3. Run a fork through the colours and swirl them around the tray. Then take your blank card and press it down into the shaving cream. Use an extra card to gently scrape off the excess. The marbleized pattern will remain on the paper. It’s like magic!

 

 

I recommend putting the excess shaving cream into a separate bowl, not back into your prepared tray. This will prevent your pretty colours from turning into mud. After one or two cards you might want to add a few more drops of colour and re-swirl.

4. Let the cards dry. Your kids will be so proud of the finished results! And since all original art deserves proper accreditation, consider giving the designer some well-deserved credit on the back of the card. My young helper will be decorating her newly marbleized cards with seasonal stickers and doodles. As for myself, I’ll be keeping an ample supply of blanks for my next card-related emergency.

 

 

Andrea Tomkins is a mother of two imps, and wife of one. She’s a freelance writer who is often found with camera in hand or scribbling madly in her notebook. She is passionate about arts and culture, travel and healthy living, and gets an extra big thrill out of helping parents and kids discover all the hidden treasures Ottawa has to offer. You can follow her adventures on her blog, a peek inside the fishbowl, where she’s been writing about family life since 1999. She’ll be sharing a great new craft idea here at CF.ca every Friday.