Mother’s Day is coming and what better way to show mom you care than to make her a homemade card? This is a simple technique that any beginner can do.

You will need:

5 X 7 blank card and envelope
Watercolor paper cut to 4 X 6 size
Painter’s masking tape
Cardboard
Crayons
Glue stick
Rubber stamp with special wish for mom, such as “Happy Mother’s Day”, “Mom”, or “Love”
Black inkpad
Spray bottle filled with water
Liquid acrylic paint, such as F&W Acrylic Artists Ink
Bubble wrap
Embellishments of choice—ribbon, charms, etc.

First, place the watercolor paper on the cardboard and tape it down on all four sides of the paper. The masking tape will form a border around the paper and will prevent the paper from buckling when it gets wet.

Now, take out your crayons and start coloring. I drew a heart since I knew I was using the card for Mother’s Day. Draw what you feel comfortable with. Flowers are always nice, or a house, or any design you like. You may even use a stencil if you have one. Do not worry about it looking too simplistic since you will be adding layers to this beginning. The wax from the crayon will resist future paint. So far, you will have created what is called a wax resist.

The next step will be to paint over the waxed area. The paint color may seep into the waxed areas, but for the most part your design will still be the main attraction. So lightly spray the entire 4X6 watercolor paper with water, and then drop a color or two of liquid acrylic paint onto the paper. You can lift the cardboard up and gently rock the board to encourage the colors to travel. Don’t worry if the paint goes over your waxed area. Put the cardboard down on a flat surface.

Just for fun, you can put some bubble wrap over the wet paint and it will create a unique background! Let the bubble wrap sit for a few minutes, and then gently lift it off. The paint may still need time to dry, but your background design will be in place.

When your design is dry enough, you can rubber stamp on the meaningful word that you have chosen. You can choose an ink color to enhance your card, but most of the time the black will work just fine.



When everything is dry, you can glue the watercolor paper onto the front of your 5X7 blank card. Don’t forget to add ribbons, buttons, charms, etc.

The hardest part is yet to come! Try to give as much thought to the inside as you do to the cover.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy Mother’s Day!