by Lynn A. McNeill

Created on: November 06, 2011

When working with children, especially preschool, every attempt should be made to encourage their natural artistic tendencies. Children have great imaginations and with a little guidance can create one of kind art projects that will make them feel proud and charm their parents and loved ones. Personalized custom Christmas cards are a fun and easy project for all abilities.  Each child can make a work of art to be displayed or given away with a minimal of effort for maximum results.

Items needed to create a preschool Christmas Card
    Box of 100 envelopes
    Construction paper-all colors
    Safety Scissors
    Scraps of Construction paper
    Scraps of yarn-all colors
    Glue Sticks
    Crayons or Markers

Preparation is key to a successful art session.  A box of 100 envelopes can be found in the stationary section of any dollar store.  This will give the average class, about 3 cards apiece. In most cases, more than three cards in one sitting for a preschool class would be overwhelming. Encourage children to use their favorite colors and shapes. Use this art session to reinforce shapes and colors. Name the shapes; circles, squares, triangles. Name the colors, red, blue, green, etc.

The size of the card, will be based upon the size of envelope that you have on hand. Cut the construction paper prior to the art session, to save time and eliminate frustration. Cut the paper so that the card will be just a little smaller than the envelope. Fold the construction paper once. For example, if you use regular No. 10 envelopes, they are 4 1/8 “ by 9 1/2” so cut the construction paper 9” tall and 8 wide and fold in half lengthwise. Use the scrap yarn and construction scrap paper for decorations. Other decorative items, can be used, such as glitter and beads and buttons. Though for safety, these items should be closely monitored when working with small children.

Custom cards based on the child is the best.  Have the child place their hand on the front of the card and trace around their closed fingers and open thumb to create the outline of a “mitten”.  Each child can use yarn scraps and bits of construction paper to fill in the outline and add a cuff, making a unique mitten. On the inside, have the child print their name. Let the child decorate the envelope using crayons and/or markers, with Xs and Os or other simple figures.  If desired, they can put a name on the front of the envelope or leave it unaddressed for simplicity. This easy project will result in custom Christmas cards that are limited only by the child’s imagination.

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