Last Updated on December 3, 2018 by Kimberly Crawford
Sometimes, working on large-scale pieces is too intimidating or time consuming. Create art cards and ACEOs to use as holiday gifts!
For those of you who need a refresher about what an art card or ACEO is, check out this article: Create Mixed-Media ATCs or ACEOs
Some have difficulty finding time to create art as often as they would like, so this project is perfect for the time-crunched artist. There are also others who find difficulty in working on large-scale projects, so this is an opportunity to work small and gain nearly instant gratification.
Like with many of the other articles presented in this topic, Christmas Themed Art Cards and ACEOs is an excellent opportunity to introduce a lesson in recycling.
Rather than using card stock or other store-bought heavy weight paper as the card base, cut up old greeting cards that would typically end up in the recycling bin.
Materials:
- Old greeting cards (they don’t necessarily have to be Christmas – they could be old birthday cards, thank you cards, etc.)
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Corner punch (lace, rounded, or whatever else desired)
- Foil lined tea wrapper
- Glitter gel pens (assorted colors)
- Small snowflake cut from white paper
- Black ultra-fine sharpie or gel pen
- Glue stick
Instructions:
- Cut the greeting cards into 3.5 x 2.5 inch sized cards
- Use the corner punch to punch out either two or all four of the card’s corners.
- Cut a small square from the foiled lined tea wrapper
- Affix the foil square to the center of the card using the glue stick
- Affix the small white snowflake to the center of the foil square using the glue stick
- Embellish the edges of the card with the glitter gel pen, as well as the interior sections of the snowflake
- Use the black ultra-fine sharpie or gel pen to write a holiday greeting on the card
Variations:
- Use construction paper scraps cut to size, rather than card stock, to create a weightier collage on.
- Create a small booklet to affix to the center of the art card, rather than a snowflake. Write out holiday memories, or a special holiday greeting for the gift recipient.
- Use small bits of scrap wrapping paper, rather than the foil lined tea wrapper, as the first layer of the art card’s base.
- Sew gold or silver cording around the edge of the art card to give it some additional glitz and glamour!
This is a very quick project, yet it packs a big greeting. In addition to gift giving, use these Christmas themed art cards as additions to handmade greeting cards, within the pages of art journals (or other book arts, such as altered book projects), in scrapbook projects, as Christmas decorations, or as ornaments on your Christmas tree. If you’re not satisfied with how this project comes out, it’s small enough to quickly alter or you could cut it up to use in Christmas themed collages.
