Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
I’m homeschooling my 11 year old daughter for the entire school year and always looking for new STEM projects for her to complete. A few weeks ago we came across the Baking Soda Fizzy Rocks project which she really enjoyed. This project is best for …
Painting simple designs on seashells is so much fun! Your designs can be animals, wordage, flowers, fruits & veggies, cars, etc. Whatever your heart desires! Matter of fact, you’ll find over 100+ seashell craft projects on the TwoClassyChics blog. We love this crafting medium because …
I’m one of those people who despises virtual greeting cards. I don’t like sending them and I sure don’t like receiving them. They’re impersonal and boring. While they’re quick to send and often times free…I dislike them with a passion.
* This post contains affiliate links.
Over the years I’ve learned to make my own handmade greeting cards and everyone who receives one appreciates the time that I took to make it. I’ve made inexpensive and easy ones and I’ve made elaborate ones that are worthy of being framed. If you’ve never tried making your own…now is the time to start!
Basic Supplies Needed: Cardstock, Blank Greeting Cards with Envelopes, Scrapbooking Paper, Scissors, Ruler, Paper Glue Stick, Glue Dots (adhesive dots), Alphabet Stickers, Alphabet Rubber Stamps & Stamp Pads, etc.
Embellishments: Small Flowers, Ribbons, 3-Dimensional Stickers, Eyelets, Small Seashells, Small Pebbles, Wood Scrabble Tiles, Metal Bottle Caps, Metal Charms, Broken Jewelry Pieces, Beads, Rhinestones, Confetti, Fabric Scraps, Buttons, Washi Tape, etc.
Notes: You can make your own blank greeting cards by cutting and folding white cardstock to the size that you need if you don’t want to purchase blank pre-made cards with envelopes. You can use all kinds of things to decorate the front of each card (embellishments) so look through my list of ideas to see what you have.
Here are a few Easy Handmade Happy Birthday Greeting Card Ideas to help get you started.
1. Cover the entire front of the card with a patterned piece of paper. Cut a piece of ribbon and run it down the right side of the card. Tack the ends underneath with glue. Cut an additional piece of ribbon and tie it into a bow. Use glue dots to tack it into place. Use Alpha stickers to spell out your greeting or use rubber stamps with an ink pad in your desired color.
You can write whatever message that you want inside the card. I like to make it personal so that the receiver knows how I feel about them. I recommend doing that part in your own handwriting which is really nice to see.
2. You can make all kinds of designs just by following the simple outline with your first card. Just change up your embellishments to give it a different look. You can add small artificial flowers, hearts made from felt or fabric scraps, stickers, large charms, etc. You can keep it simple or bling it up with some pretty jewels, studs and rhinestones.
3. I use river stones, seashells, snail shells, acorns, mini pine cones, smooth pebbles, dried leaves & pressed flowers, etc. in a lot of my craft projects. They’re a free resource that you can pick up while out on a nature walk. Look around you….There are a lot of things out in nature that you can use!
The artist above used 2 smooth rocks that resembled the shape of a person. Used a marker to draw on the legs (you can add arms too). To complete the scene she used 3-dimensional birthday stickers for the gifts, party hats, cake and balloons. How cute is that? Totally cute! You can use alpha stickers or rubber stamps to add your message on the front. Personalizing it would be fun!
4. Using wood Scrabble Tiles is a great way to add embellishment to any of your cards! At my local scrapbooking store they sell Scrabble Tile printed paper and blank wood tiles. With that said, I purchased my wooden Scrabble Tiles from Amazon because they were a better deal.
This card is really easy to make. Cut your Scrabble printed paper to fit the front of your card. Tack it down on all four sides with your glue stick. The wooden tiles are a little weighty so I recommend using large sized Glue Dots to tack them down into place. Make sure you use the permanent ones to give you a better hold.
All of these ideas are great for beginners. They’re quick and easy. You don’t need a lot of supplies and what you do need can be purchased inexpensively or obtained for free. Making your own handcrafted greeting cards is a great way to show someone that you care.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
These hand-painted cupcakes with sprinkles seashell refrigerator magnets are really easy to make. All you need are a few scallop seashells, painting supplies and magnets. You can whip up an entire bakery of them in no time at all. They would be cute used as …
Cats are beloved by millions of people around the world. While dogs may be man’s best friend…cats are certainly running a close second. Last year we rescued and adopted 2 cats which my grandchildren instantly fell in-love with. Sadly…we lost Tucker last October to a …
I’m currently homeschooling my 5 year old and 11 year old. I’m always looking for new S.T.E.M. projects that we can do at home. The projects need to be easy, educational and fun to hold my children’s attention. Everything that we need to do the project needs to be within my home or easy for me to obtain. The S.T.E.A.M. kits from Griddly Games are perfect for homeschooling parents like me!
* Complimentary product received for review. This post may contain affiliate links.
Earlier this year I was introduced to Griddly Games who makes a line of STEM and STEAM Kits for kids! You can check out my previous reviews on the Just Add Sun and the Just Add Egg kits that we featured on the TwoClassyChics blog. Both kits were a huge hit with my kids!
Today we’re feature the Just Add Baking Soda Organic Science + Art Kit from Griddly Games. This kit is educational and fun at the same time. It’s for kids ages 8 and up and contains multiple science and art experiments for the whole family. Even though my son is only 4 1/2, he can participate in some of the activities too.
Each kit has more than 20 uses. You can make bath bombs, ornaments, a baking soda volcano, invisible ink, fizzy paint, to make non-toxic glue, fizzy rocks, lava lamp, and more. This kit contains the following items:
Instruction Project Booklet
Bottle
Funnel
Silicone Ice Cube Tray
Plastic Dinosaur
Squeezy Bottles
Eye Dropper
Balloon
Straw
Syringes
Mold
Latex Gloves
Food Coloring
Star-Shaped Cookie Cutter
White Glue
Paint
Watercolor Paper
Wax Paper
Paper Clip
Yarn
My children selected the How to Grow Baking Soda Crystals project to do last weekend. You need to supply the baking soda, glass jar, water, string, paperclip and pencil. We found that a small glass mason jar works perfectly for this project. It will take approximately 30 minutes to put together and then you need to allow 1 week for your crystals to grow. Boiling water is involved with this project which is best done by an adult.
We kept our glass jar of crystals on the windowsill in my kitchen. Every morning the kids looked forward to checking out the growing process & progress. They didn’t see anything on day one but as the days went on you could see the crystals growing. What a fun project that taught them how to measure out ingredients (water and baking soda), how to put together the project, reading instructions and it taught them patience.
The second project that we completed was the Make Your Own Baking Soda Fizzy Rocks. For this project you need to supply the baking soda, white vinegar and water. The food coloring is included in the kit. Mix together the ingredients until it’s dough-like in consistency. Form into rock shapes. We placed our’s onto my baking wire rack so that air could circulate around them to dry. It took about 2 hours on a 85 degree day until they were dry. You then pour vinegar over the rocks and watch them fizz. This teaches kids how to follow instructions, measuring ingredients out, cause and reaction and patience. They really enjoyed this project!
Here’s a few tips from me to you: Some of these projects can be messy. Plan ahead. I used an old plastic picnic table cloth to cover up my table to protect it. We used disposable plastic bowls and lids. You can toss them or wash them when done. Kids should wear an old t-shirt or a craft apron when working on the projects to protect their clothing. Have some reusable rags and hand soap nearby for quick clean-ups.
Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win a Just Add Baking Soda Kit from Griddly Games. Good Luck to everyone who enters!
Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. This giveaway will close on September 12th, 2020 at 11:59 pm EST time. No purchase necessary to enter or win.
Disclaimer: Jenelle received a complimentary product to review & feature. No monetary compensation was received. Regardless, Jenelle is sharing her 100% unbiased and honest opinion with the readers of the TwoClassyChics blog. Your opinion may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for prize shipping. This post may contain affiliate links.
Last month we had a sleepover with our grandchildren. Every time they come over we like to sit down and do a quick & easy craft project. This DIY Upcycled Bird Feeder is really easy to make. You can have it completed in less than …
My 10 1/2 year old granddaughter enjoys various arts and crafts. During our weekend visit we headed into my craft room to paint a few river rocks. She’s a big flip-flop wearer during the warmer months of the year and commented that 2 of the …