DIY Holiday Gift Idea: Notecard Sets of Your Child’s Artwork

by Rebecca Pitts

Most of what my daughter makes at the easel is all process, meaning, it’s less about the finished piece and entirely about her experience scribbling, blobbing paint, and having fun. There are times, though, when I’m truly struck by something she has created—something so surprising and original, I find myself agreeing with Picasso himself—the child is the true artist, and we all could spend a lifetime trying to get back to her place of interest, observation, and creative interpretation of the world.

Our home is beginning to rival a gallery space (really), so I’m always looking for new and clever ways to display and enjoy her artwork.

This project is not your typical DIY, meaning, you’ll use your skills of curation, editing, and photography to elevate your artist’s work into a beautiful, gift-worthy set of notecards.

We enjoy sending these as notes in the mail, attaching them to presents, and gifting them as notecard sets for relatives.

Here’s how to make your own:

• Choose similar works of art. The car series happened over a week—my daughter kept drawing them over and over. Together, they make an interesting and visually appealing set.
• Edit (with your scissors). For the second set of cards, I cut shapes from a larger drawing that my daughter made. The media and design of each of these simple drawings are similar, which gives them a cohesive look.
• Photograph your child’s artwork. Good lighting makes all the difference. I worked in a corner of my kitchen near the window to photograph her artwork in diffused, indirect, natural light. I placed her artwork on a white sheet of paper.
• Digitally edit and print. You can use any sort of printing service, from Snapfish to Overnight Prints. For this project, I used Artifact Uprising. Most of these services have simple built-in editing software for digital touch-ups. (Which means: you can keep it easy and skip Photoshop altogether.)
• Tie it up. We’re a big fan of Studio Carta’s flat weave ribbon and twine. String together a set of cards to create a thoughtful holiday gift for friends and family of your young artist.

Bio

Rebecca Pitts writes and makes stuff for kids + kids at heart. She is the founder and creative behind Hudson + Daughter and a contributor at Dear Handmade Life. Her work and ideas have been featured in Country Living, the Etsy Seller Handbook, the Martha Stewart American Made Market, Craft Industry Alliance, And North, Blog Society, and atly.