Holiday Card Ideas

Among her suggestions are using rubber stamps fashioned out of embossable foam blocks, drying and embellishing poinsettia leaves and bracts, and decorating talking photo-frame cards.

Figure A--Dry poinsettia leaves between the pages of the phone book and use them to make cards. Another option is to laminate the leaves so that they can be hung on the tree as Christmas ornaments. Start with plain white commercial cards.

Figure B--Embellish dried poinsettia leaves and highlight the veins by rubbing them with treasure gold, a shoe polish-like substance that is available at craft stores.

Figure C--Make a Hanukkah stamp by purchasing special hole punches that create shapes such as dreidels and the Hebrew word chai, which means life.

Figure D--Heat a block of moldable foam with a hair dryer, and press the cut Hanukkah shapes into the foam to create a rubber stamp.

Figure E--Ink the stamp and create colorful Hanukkah cards.

Figure F--Another way to create personalized cards is by using a moldable stylus. Heat the stylus and press onto a piece of jewelry, such as a Star of David, to create an interesting textured design. Ink and press on blank card stock. Create a 3-D look by cutting out a handful of patterns and mounting them above the surface of the card with foam dots.

Figure G--Keep making wonderful personalized cards into the new year. A talking frame makes a great New Year's card, for instance. Insert a family photo and record a message. Think of the border of the frame as a blank canvas and decorate the frame with embossed block bands, fabric yo-yos, buttons, fortune cookies or other items.