Maddie has emailed me a blog that she wanted to share with others.

Perhaps, it is a good time to share it as school holidays are upon us all once again.

She said that she wanted to dedicate this blog to her cousin Caden, who will be 10 years old this weekend.

How to make home-made birthday cards and Christmas cards

This is not only simple, but it is easy to do.

If you are making a birthday card for somebody, then you want to try and use colours that blend well with their personality.

Maybe try and find out what their favourite colour is and find out what their hobbies are.

Get a coloured piece of paper or a plain bit of paper.
Fold it in half.
Write a nice catch phrase or perhaps a joke on the front or just write “Happy Birthday” or “Merry Christmas” if you are making a Christmas card.
Do a nice pattern or a drawing or even something that pops out of the front pages.
Identify who the card is for and write something nice about the person, perhaps say something you are thankful for that you recongise about them.
(Optional) If you want to add a little bit of extra sugar and spice, draw a nice picture on the inside, appropriate for their age, maybe a picture of something you think they will like.

I have made home made cards almost my whole life for my family at birthdays, Christmas, and Easter time, and let me tell you that every time I give one to someone it makes me happy, because it always brings a smile to their face, and I like seeing them happy.

So I dedicate this one to my cousin Caden-

“Happy Birthday Caden xoxo”

Read more here if you want other card ideas.

Thank you Maddie for another blog! The photo is of the front of the the card. She also made a very interesting pop out inside the card.

What a great idea to keep busy with in the school holidays, but why leave it there.

See Maddie’s other blog on creative writing for more ideas these school holidays.

There are so many more ways to be creative

We are not born creative, so it takes time to develop those skills that we need to be creative as we grow older.

Fine tuning our fine motor skills and our hand eye co-ordination should start when we are young.

Back to basics

You don’t need anything special or fancy to be creative. It is the opposite really, as the less you have to work with, the more creative you have to be.

Find some cardboard, old egg boxes, paper, tubes, cellotape, glue, buttons, even sand, pebbles or large dry leaves, and children can create a world of opportunity.

What’s not to like? Keeping children busy creating all sorts of wonderful things is a healthy and busy way to spend the school holidays.

Maddie reminded me yesterday of a time when we sorted out old clothes, and then set to re-purposing them by cutting and sewing them into clothes for her dolls and her brother’s teddy.

She is eleven now and still remembers that as a fun way of being creative. I still treasure the hand-made cards and notes that my children made me, and they are stored safely away.

“Grandchildren are like flowers- you never tire of watching them grow”

So thank you Maddie for another lovely blog and the dedication to your cousin on his birthday!

1 Comment

Sarah Siebert on 30/09/2021 at 8:59 PM

Very cool Maddie

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Lemons

by gentlelifehacks | 22/06/2021 | Handy hints, Healthy living, Home and Garden, Lifestyle | 0 Comments

When my husband was battling cancer, lemons were one fruit that really helped. We used lemon zest in our salads, lemon juice in his smoothies and teas. Lemons are known to have an alkalising effect in the body. While they are acidic, to begin with, they also are...

Buyer’s remorse

by gentlelifehacks | 22/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Opinion, Real Estate, uncategorised | 0 Comments

So often when we purchase something we have a feeling of remorse soon after. This is no different when you purchase a house, in fact, the remorse and be much worse. Experienced real estate negotiators are keen to get the deal done that day for this reason. They will...

Smart gadgets

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Technology | 0 Comments

Renovating a home is not for the faint hearted Take it from one who knows! Smart wiring, or smart homes are often talked about and the digital natives amongst us know all the tricks. Just listening to some of the things required in our new smart home made my head...

Messy house or hoarder?

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Handy hints, Lifestyle, Opinion | 0 Comments

Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between hoarding and extreme clutter. Many times in my real estate career, I have come across people who do not see the clutter when they come to sell their homes. It is rude to point it out to them, and sometimes difficult to be...

Houses built from hemp

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Real Estate | 0 Comments

Some interesting ways of building homes over the years have included products such as Hemp. It has apparently been used globally as a natural building product for thousands of years. Recently a Western Australian couple hand built their three-bedroom home on a...

10 Simple Life Hacks to Stay Healthy and Active

by gentlelifehacks | 25/09/2024 | Health and Wellness | 0 Comments

Introduction to Healthy LivingIn today's fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can often feel overwhelming. However, implementing a few simple life hacks can significantly improve your well-being and help you stay active. This blog post explores effective...

10 warning signs to look out for when buying a house

by gentlelifehacks | 30/11/2021 | Handy hints, Home and Garden, Lifestyle, Real Estate, uncategorised | 0 Comments

Renovating is not always easy. Even the the tasks that look like they could be simple can turn out to me a mission to finish! Have you ever found a few cracked tiles in the kitchen and thought about replacing them? It is okay if you have spare matching tiles, but what...

A wise old donkey

by gentlelifehacks | 18/06/2021 | Lifehacks, Lifestyle, uncategorised | 0 Comments

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He...

Are you a hoarder?

by gentlelifehacks | 20/01/2023 | caregiving, Coping skills, Handy hints, Home and Garden, Lifestyle | 0 Comments

Are you a hoarder? They say you should always "declutter" when selling your home? When I was selling my own home after the death of my husband, I wondered if I was a hoarder! They say that hoarding is often a coping mechanism. Apparently if we are bereaved , or...