I’ve always loved the look of marbling, but for years I put it in the “too hard” basket. Here’s a method that needs no special equipment and is easy enough for a child to make! Apart from cutting out the hearts, my two year old made these pretty cards herself.
We made ours for Mother’s Day. These would also be perfect for Valentine’s Day or anytime you want to spread some love with a simple and beautiful handmade card. In a few minutes you’ll have enough marbled paper to make a whole stash of lovely cards. Here’s how.
YOU’LL NEED:
Shaving foam – one full can
Food colouring (droppers are easiest for kids to handle)
Baking tray
Skewer or chopstick
A4 white paper
Ruler
A4 white cardstock
Printer
STEP ONE: Select a baking tray a little bigger than an A4 size piece of paper, and fill the bottom with shaving foam. Smooth it over with the back of a spoon.
STEP TWO: Add drops of food colouring all over the foam. (Food colouring stains, so wear a paint shirt!)
STEP THREE: Use a skewer or a chopstick to swirl the colours together.
STEP FOUR: Lay an A4 piece of paper on top of the foam and pat it gently all over.
You should see the pattern start to emerge through the back of the paper.
STEP FIVE: Peel the paper away.
STEP SIX: Lay the paper flat and use a ruler to scrape the excess shaving foam off the surface.
Ta-da! You have a beautiful marbled print that even a child can make. Set it aside to dry. (It will only be very slightly damp, so it will dry fast.)
Note: You can make several prints from the one tray of foam. After a while the colours will start to mix together and become a bit “muddy”. At this point you could scrape back the surface, add more foam and start again with some fresh colours. Or, you could get a bit more mileage by using your skewer to drag vertical and horizontal lines in a rough grid pattern, and you’ll get a different sort of print that is softer and more subdued.
STEP SEVEN: Print out this free printable heart template on cardstock, then cut it out and trace around the template on your marbled paper.
STEP EIGHT: Use the dotted line on the template as a guide to trim your A4 white cardstock. Fold in half to make a square card, and glue the marbled heart to the front.
Finished! Such a simple way to create an elegant and pretty card for someone you love.
To all the wonderful mamas who read this blog – I wish you a very happy Mother’s Day! I hope you get spoiled and loved on and pampered and hugged. You’re amazing and you deserve it. Well done, mama! xo
Tell me: What do you love best about your Mum?
We did this activity this morning! Was a hit! Just have to put the cards together this afternoon. The nannas and great-grandmas will be chuffed! x
We did this activity this morning! Was a hit! Just have to put the cards together this afternoon. The nannas and great-grandmas will be chuffed! x
Yay Lauren! That makes me smile! xo
Yay Lauren! That makes me smile! xo
Very pretty! I would love to try this technique with my boys.
Very pretty! I would love to try this technique with my boys.
I'm sure they'll love it! It really is a lot of fun, and so easy. So glad you like the results. 🙂
I'm sure they'll love it! It really is a lot of fun, and so easy. So glad you like the results. 🙂