This month we honor the moms and mother figures in our lives. A heartfelt way to demonstrate your love is to hand-craft a Mother’s Day card. Handmade cards will be cherished for years because they come from the heart. Cards may be made for many occasions and offer a crafty excuse to host a party.
 
Below are directions for creating cards with open windows, special shapes, and accordion folds. Use your imagination to combine them or invent ways to change them to meet your card-giving needs.
 
Materials
• A variety of papers (such as card stock, copy paper, construction paper)
• Markers, colored pencils, crayons
• Sharp, pointed scissors
• Glue stick
• Ruler
• Optional: feathers, words and pictures cut from magazines, anything else you can incorporate creatively.
 
General card making tips: Keep hands clean—if you use markers or glue, wash hands and wait for markers and glue to dry before going to the next step. Make crisp folds by using a wooden spoon to flatten the fold of the card, starting at the middle and going to each end.
 
Open window card: Fold card, decide on a simple shape for the window—rectangle, heart, etc. Cut on three sides, making sure one side of your shape can open and close on a straight folded line. To open one edge enough to cut with scissors, an adult may use a craft knife. Glue a piece of paper to the inside of the front of the card. Fold back the windows and write a word or message on the space revealed beneath. Decorate card and write your message inside.
 
Shape card: When deciding on a shape for your card, remember that one side of it must include the fold—do not cut completely around design. Shapes like a bird with a wing that opens up may be glued onto a card as an opening message.
 
Accordion-fold card: By using a folded piece of paper your message will spring out when opened. Plan how you will include this folded “spring” into the design. You could make an arm or leg on a drawing of yourself—use your imagination and be creative. Once you have constructed the basic card, fold a piece of 1”x 6” heavy paper into accordion folds. Glue one side of the folded paper to the card in the appropriate place. Cut out the shape and write your message; glue to end fold of accordion folded paper.
 
Have fun creating a card—the recipient will know you cared enough to send your personal best.