Thank you Dollar Tree and the Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club for making this post possible! ย
This year, weโre spicing our holiday cards up a bit.
For the past few years, our cards have become super-quick assembly line of envelope-stuffing, sealing, and stamping. Even our address labels are stickers.
This time, weโre spicing our cards up a bit. Actually, some help from Dollar Tree, weโre spicing up our holiday card envelopes. ย Thatโs rightโthe very first thing our friends and family will see from us, and itโs going to be totally rockstar.
Weโre taking the Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club craft, Balloon Painting, to a whole new level.
Weโve made super-simple stencils from Dollar Tree posterboard and a stamper out of Dollar Tree balloons. A few swirls of poster paint and a bit of time to dry, and we have very simply added a pretty, festive, fancy touch to our holiday cards.
Hereโs the skinny. . .
- Holiday Card Stencils and Balloon Stamps:
Really, all we did was slightly modify the super-easy steps on the Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club Balloon Painting tutorial and change our colors.
This is a holiday craft that my kiddos loved because though they stuff our holiday cards every year, this year, the fun factor was a bit higher. We all had more fun looking at our blinged out envelopes compared to the plain-Jane white envelopes of holidays past.
No matter what you put inside your holiday cards this year, itโs what you put on the outside of your card that will get people talking.
Youโll need:
- Blank envelopes
- Poster paint
- Balloons
- Disposable plate and knife
- one piece of poster board
1.ย First, we created holiday-inspired stencils. We wanted small and simple, and we wanted three basic designs.ย We made a tree, a star, and a package.
Want some Holiday Stencils so you can do some balloon painting? You can download the stencil template here:ย wintertime holiday stencils
2.ย Then we cut out the shapes on the posterboard.
3.ย Then we dropped paint. We put coordinating paint blobs on a disposable plate: yellow, green and blue for the tree; red, purple, and white for the package; and yellow and orange for the star.
The kids slightly, ever so gently swirled the paint on the plate with a knife to blend the colors.
4.ย Next came the balloons! We partially blew up a few balloons, and this is what Maddy, Owen, and Cora loved. We talked about how the balloon needed to be just the right size so that we could hold it without slipping and so it wouldnโt pop as we stamped it.
5.ย Finally, we stamped, stamped, and stamped some more!ย We used the balloons as stamps, filling in the holiday stencils on the front of each envelope.
We let the envelopes dry completely.
And thatโs itโso quick and so simple, but a really extra-special touch to holiday cards.
Donโt have time to balloon paint your holiday card envelopes? No problem!
Consider using Holiday Card Stencils and Balloon Stamps to:
- make your holiday cards
- make holiday gift tags
- decorate holiday gift bags
- make simple holiday ornaments
The possibilities are endless, though the craft is so simple!
ย __________________________
Contest is closed as of 12/26/13. . . winner chosen by random.org is Tara Z.
GIVEAWAY: $100 Dollar Tree gift card
Do you want to win $100 Dollar Tree gift card??!ย Yes, yes you do.
- To enter, sign up for the Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club.
- Then leave a comment below sharing which project from the club you want to try first.
ย __________________________
By entering this giveaway, you are demonstrating your understanding of and compliance with the Official Sweepstakes Rules.
This giveaway ends Thursday, December 26, 2013 at midnight ET. Winner will be chosen byย and will be notified on or around 12/26/13.ย Winner must respond within one (1) day of notification or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.ย All Official Sweepstakes Rules apply.
fyi: This post was made possible by a partnership between Dollar Tree Value Seekers Club and The Blueprint Social.ย As always, my opinions are all my own, influenced only by my experience as a parent and educator and my three little holiday-crafters.
Want a few more holiday-inspired giftย ideas or activities? Check out:
- True Holiday Spirit Lunchbox Notes
- Holiday Fun Fact and JOKES Lunchbox Notes (with Hannukah!)
- Holiday Time Fun Fact Lunchbox Notes
- Little Holiday Notes and Jokes
- Holiday Notes for Families
- The Polar Express tradition
- Scratch-off Cards
- K-Cup Advent Tree
- New Year’s Family Interview
- Happy Holidays Backyard Birdsย
Brandy
First off, I rarely ever enter giveaways. BUT, I love the Dollar Tree! So, I joined the Value Seekers Club (which I didn’t know about, but I’m glad I do now) and LOVED the snowman place setting idea. I’m trying to decide if I should do that on the first day of winter (even though the weather channel says the high will be 70 here that day), or if I should do it for Christmas breakfast, or if I should save it just in case we get a tiny bit of snow. Decisions, decisions!
Erin
I love the fingerprint ornament painting project. I bet the grandmas would love this and it’s thin enough to mail. Bonus!! I signed up- we just got a new dollar tree and it’s got all sorts of things I couldn’t imagine at a dollar store.
Roxanne
I love the Cupcaketini for New Years! How fun! Thanks for the chance to win. I love shopping at Dollar Tree.
Mami2jcn
I joined the club and I’d like to try the snow globe project.
Lauren E.
I want to try the snowman bottlecap ornaments
Still Playing School
I love the fingerpaint holiday lights!
Melissa - TheEyesofaBoy.com
I just signed up for the email club! I definitely want to try the balloon stamping! Looks like SO much fun, and my son would love it! ๐
MaryEllen
I signed up – I’d like to try the popsicle stick snowflakes!
Karyn
Gotta love the dollar store!! I like the new year’s balloon countdown! Thanks for a fun giveaway!
Annette
I signed up. I never knew there was such a thing. I would love to make the cute photo booth new years eve craft! So cute!
MaryLea @ pink and green mama
Signed up! The fingerprint holiday lights are adorable — just made some last night with my own kids on their holiday cards for their teachers! YAY!
Tara Ziegmont
I hate signing up for newsletters, but I signed up for you, Amy! The site didn’t load correctly for me, but (from what I could see), the balloon painting that you did and the finger painted Christmas lights both look like they’d be hits at my house.
Lorie
The bottle cap snowmen are adorable!
Sheila
I would love to buy supplies for the balloon painting! so many ideas–will be buying supplies to make craft kits for kids going through chemotherapy. I always go to the Dollar Tree when putting together homeless are kits. Great store!
Betty Baez
I would love to try the bottle cap snowmen ornaments!
Jamie
I want to do ALL of them! But I’ll start with the finger print Christmas lights, because I already have the paint (from the Dollar Tree). With the gift card, I really could do all of them!
Neiddy
Signed up,
The first project I would do with my kids is the Fingerprint Christmas Lights Keepsake and while they keep on having fun with the finger painting I would make some New Yearโs Eve Cupcaketinis
Terra Heck
I signed up for the club and would first like to try the White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels. In fact, I think I’ll make some this weekend. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
Lisa Brown
Signed up. I like the Balloon Painting craft; it is something all the kids would love and have fun at.
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
Lauren @ The Thinking Closet
I’m a club member…and the snow globe or balloon painting are most intriguing to me! Thanks for the inspiration!
Kelly Denton
I love the snowmen bottle caps.
nicole lia
snowman ornament ๐
MaryAnn
I want to try the snowmen bottle cap ornaments first.
Ashley H
I signed up and I like the new year’s photo booth.
Julie
I am signed up using above email
I like the popscicle stick snowflakes
thanks
Melissa L.
I signed up, and I would love to try the Fingerpaint Christmas Lights keepsake first! Thanks for the giveaway!
Laura Jacobson
I signed up! I would love to make the White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels! Those look so good!
Harmony B
I signed up
I would make the bottle cap ornaments
Sue D
I signed up and would like to try the snow globes first.
slrdowney at hotmail dot com
Natasha
Im all signed up! I want to try the popsicle snowflakes first!
Erika W.
I am signed up! I would love to try the Homemade Snow Globes first! My daughter collects them so she would love this!
Bert
Joined the club and I would make the Santa and Elf Silverware Sleeves first.
Adriane
I signed up! I’d try the Snow Globe project
Susan Christy
I am already a member, and want to try the snow globe project.