Make Your Own Greeting Cards

I think handmade greeting cards are a special way of telling someone you care about them, because you have spent time and effort creating something especially for that person.  You can make them personal and unique and tailor a card to a person's interests, hobbies, and passions.  

I am not going to tell you how to make cards, rather this is just to share some cards that I have made in the hope that it will generate ideas, inspiration, and further creativity.

 You need:

*Cardstock - you can buy pre-made cards, pre-printed cards, and blank card which you can cut down to size and fold in half.  An A4 size sheet of card folds into an A5 size greetings card; an A5 sheet folds into an A6 size greetings card. 

* Glue

To decorate your card, you can use a variety of things, such as...

*Printed paper to decorate - eg. scrapbooking paper; wrapping paper; postage stamps; illustrations from old books (old children's picture encyclopedias are great and you can often pick them up very cheaply at charity shops); images cut from magazines;  images cut from old calendars...

*Stamps and ink

*Paper punches

*Washi tape

*Stick-on bling

*Embellishments - The Warehouse often has embellishments in the clearance bin for .97c for pretty things to stick on cards.

 These are some of the cards I have made...

 Stamps, embossing powder, paper punches, decorative paper

 Decorative paper and washi tape

 Pretty tissue paper and embellishments

 Decorative paper cut into a teapot shape; coloured paper; gold outliner paint

 Small placecard holder; embossed paper; stick-on bling; hand-made paper flower

 Decorative paper; bird stamp; embossing powder

 Embossed card using the Cuttlebug; paper punches; decorative paper; stamp and black ink

 Embossed card using Cuttlebug; stamps and ink; decorative paper; stickers

 Oriental paper; coloured paper embossed using Cuttlebug; silver wax rubbed over embossed image

 Embossed geisha image using Cuttlebug; oriental paper

 Decorative scissors; metallic paper; ribbon; stamp; handmade paper; gold outliner paint

 Paper doily; image from old book

 Pre-printed card; hand-drawn mixing bowl coloured in on plain paper and cut out; embellishments

 Pre-printed card; embellishments

 Decorative paper; stamp and ink

 Sheet music printed on teabag stained paper and ripped while wet; metallic handmade paper; coloured paper; gold outliner paint

 Decorative paper; paper punched flowers; bird stamp; cage cut from wrapping paper

 Paper embossed using Cuttlebug; decorative paper; glitter; embellishments

 Paper doily; image cut from an old book illustration

 Pre-printed card; Mixer drawn onto plain paper and cut out; embellishments

 Plain card folded in half; decorative paper; stickers; embellishments

 Washi tape; embellishments; stick-on bling

 Dress cut out of decorative paper; coloured paper

 Pre-printed card; embellishment

 Pear shape cut out of decorative paper

 Plain card embossed using Cuttlebug; decorative paper; paper punch; stamp & ink

 Pear shape cut out of decorative paper

 Pre-printed card; Dress cut out of decorative paper

 Scrapbooking paper; decorative paper; star sequins; washi tape

 decorative paper; embellishments

 Flocked paper; embellishments

 Pre-printed card; washi tape; embellishments

 Decorative paper; stamps & ink

 Pre-printed card; scrapbooking paper

 Scrapbooking paper

 Scrapbooking paper

 Pre-printed card; scrapbooking paper

 Pre-printed card; scrapbooking paper

A5 Green card folded in half; old Winnie The Pooh calendar; paper punch; washi tape

Cupcake Toppers

 

Cupcake Toppers are such a cute way to decorate cupcakes and make them a little bit special. They can also be a bit expensive to buy, but they are incredibly easy and fun to make yourself with a few tools.  Plus you can customise them to make them uniquely yours.  I made a whole heap for my fortieth birthday and some people were sneaking them into their bags and pockets to take home! That is the best compliment.

You will need:
*A circular hole punch makes things easy and are worth the investment. I don't have one (it's on my wishlist), but I have a Cuttlebug and a die which cuts circular and square tags, which is what I used.
*A range of card and decorative paper
*Glue
*Toothpicks
*Stickers/labels for the back - this is how you will attach the toothpick to the card. Plain labels cut to size are great, otherwise use what you can find. I had a bunch of stickers that were company labels for various products that I picked up at an art resource centre. You could also use masking tape, electrical tape, washi tape...

To decorate: use whatever you have got on hand. There is no limit to how you can decorate them. If you have it, use it!
Some ideas...
Stamps
Decorative punches
Motifs
Stick-on bling
Washi tape
Stickers
Postage stamps cut from envelopes
You could even draw and colour in your own pictures and motifs!
You could individualise each cupcake by writing guests names on each topper in nice writing.

Cut/punch out your circles (or whatever shape you are doing).

Decorate however you wish. Have fun!

Place a toothpick on the back.

Place a sticker over the toothpick to hold it in place.

Stick the toothpicks into your cupcakes.

Done!

Songs for Transition Times

This is a collection of songs and rhymes that you can use at the end of mat time to send children off to wash their hands for meal times.  It is good to widen the repertoire, and I am trying to extend my own repertoire so that I don't rely on the same song or method all the time.

If you are looking for songs for mat time, you can find action songs for young children in the link for action songs suitable for mat time;
There is a range of counting songs here;
You can find Te reo Maori waiata in this link.
And you can find a collection of mat time games here.


Williby Wallaby 
This is a rhyming song, that is a fun introduction to rhyming words.

Williby Wallaby Woo
An elephant sat on you
Williby Wallaby We
An elephant sat on me

Williby Wallaby Wacob
An elephant sat on Jacob
Williby Wallaby Wim
An elephant sat on Kim

(substitute a W for the first letter of the child's name)
When the child's name is called, they stand up and go and wash their hands.


Peanut Butter, Marmalade and Jam

Peanut butter, marmalade and jam
(Child's name) and (child's name) go and wash your hands.

I also do an alternative version...
Peanut butter, marmalade and jam
(Child's name) choose a friend and go and wash your hands.


Cars and Motorbikes

Cars and motorbikes, trucks and vans
(Child's name) and (child's name) go and wash your hands.


Rub and Scrub  (Tune: The farmer in the dell)

(Child's name) wash your hands, (Child 2's name) wash your hands
Rub and scrub, rub and scrub,
Wash both of your hands.


If Your Name Is... (Tune: If You're Happy and you know it)

If your name is ......., go wash your hands
If your name is .......... go wash your hands
If your name is .......... and your name is ................
If your name is ............ go wash your hands.

Other alternatives to the same tune....

If your name starts with A go wash your hands
If your name starts with A go wash your hands
If your name starts with A then go and wash your hands
If your name starts with A go wash your hands

You could change each line to a different letter of the alphabet, but it would be rather quick and you could end up sending lots of children all at once to the bathroom.  By repeating the same line, you are giving the slower children a chance to get up and go before going on to the next letter/colour.

If you're wearing blue, go wash your hands
If your're wearing blue, go wash your hands
If you're wearing blue, then go and wash your hands
If you're wearing blue go wash your hands.


Jack In The Box
All children to crouch down on floor...

Jack in the box, jack in the box
Quiet and still
Who will come out to wash their hands
......... will!

You could go round and touch children lightly on their backs as you say their name


This Is The Way We Wash Our Hands (Tune: Here we go round the mulberry bush)

You could do this song by starting off dancing around in a circle.

........ go and wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands
......... go and wash your hands, and make them clean and dry.

........ go and wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands
......... go and wash your hands, and make them clean and dry.

Call a different child's name for each line.

Other ways to send children off to wash their hands...

Little Seeds
Children crouch down like little seeds.  Come around and pretend to water each child, saying "Grow, grow, grow, go and wash your hands".

Hatching Eggs
This is great if children are interested in dinosaurs, birds, dragons, reptiles... anything that hatches out of an egg.  Children crouch down pretending they are inside an egg.  Go around to each child, gently tapping them on their back and saying "Crack, crack, come out of your shell and go wash your hands".

Sleeping Princesses/Princes (or giants, dragons, taniwhas, lions, tigers, or any animal they choose)
Cast a magic spell and put all the children to sleep.  Come around and gently wake each child up with your wand, sending them to go wash their hands as they wake up.


Te Reo Maori
To say "Go wash your hands" in Te reo Maori is: "Haere ki te horoi o ringaringa"

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs are a very common theme that occurs regularly in early childhood - and I remember being fascinated with dinosaurs as a child.  It is worthwhile making resources for these re-occurring themes to engage children, foster a love of learning and fascination and wonder, and provide a range of different ways for children to learn.

I made up this super simple counting song in the shower - my thinking space! It is to the tune of 10 Little Indians...

Small World Play

One of my teachers found this set of dinosaurs on sale for only $12 so she grabbed them and set up this small world play area. It was simply some sand, dinosaurs, and she made signs by printing out the names of the dinosaurs and laminating them, and stuck them to craft sticks.  One of the children helped with the naming of each dinosaur (they have such incredible knowledge of these things!).

It was wonderful to see some children who are generally found playing in only one area, suddenly playing in the Dinosaur Kingdom, talking and making up stories, and sharing, co-operating and role playing with others.

Dinosaurs on the Playdough Table

This was simply dinosaurs, playdough (or dough made from cornflour), some plastic trees, a bowl of sand and a bowl of glitter.  You could add leaves, grasses, and sticks to this.

The dinosaurs stomped in the playdough soon after I set it up, leaving their footprints behind.  

Dinosaur Board Game

I created this Dinosaur Board Game to follow on with the children's love of board games and games, and their interest in dinosaurs.  I used a large(ish) piece of matboard, drew the tiles on it and the children coloured it in.  I printed off some pictures of dinosaurs, which the children cut out and stuck on where-ever they wanted.  The footprints pointing the other way means you have to move backwards if you land on them.  You need counters and dice, and you throw the dice and move your counter along the path until you reach the safety of the cave.  First person to finish, wins.