DIY Kid Thank You Cards

DIY kid thank you cards are a fun and easy way to incorporate thankfulness into a holiday or birthday tradition. Gift givers will appreciate the effort, heartfelt message, and one-of-a-kind art (although some art only a grandparent will find display-worthy).

After the dust settles on a holiday or birthday, set out art supplies for DIY kid thank you cards. Use this art time to talk about thankfulness: what it means, what we’re thankful for, and why we tell people we appreciate them and their thoughtfulness. This is a great opportunity to explain and encourage thankfulness at a young age.

Older children can write their own message of thanks. For younger kiddos, ask what they want to tell the gift giver and write their exact answer. Responses range from random to surprisingly direct, and often funny. I usually include a note as well, especially if the kiddo’s response is something along the lines of “I like to play. Kitten, kitten, pony.”

Depending on the number of thank yous and the child’s interest, completing the kid thank you cards may take more than one session. If the kiddo gets tired or needs a change of activity, try not to force them to finish. Take a break and return later. Keep this a fun and mindful art activity and share the gift of thankfulness with your kiddos.

@creativelyhome

✨DIY Thank You Cards✨ Cut blank card stock in half, set out art supplies, and create unique thank you cards. Older kiddos can write their own thanks. For the littles, add a label to the front of the card to identify the drawing. Ask what they’d like to tell the gift giver and add that to the inside. Search “thank you” at creativelyhome.com for some tips and ideas. #diythankyoucards #kidcraft #kidthankyoucards #gratitude #thankyoucards #christmasthanks #creativekids

♬ Treat People With Kindness – Harry Styles

If your kiddos are feeling creative, check out these ideas for art with kids…

• Create Outdoors: 5 Ideas for Kid Art on a Hike
• Elevate Kid Painting With a Bold Outline
• DIY Paint-By-Color
• Repurposed Kid-Made Wrapping Paper

Kid Thank You Cards Materials

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• card stock or heavy art paper
• markers
• OOLY rainbow sparkle glitter markers
• OOLY unmistakables erasable colored pencils
• OOLY scented glitter pens
• OOLY double sided colored pencils
• washable stamp pad
• stamps
• paper trimmer
• envelopes

How to DIY Kid Thank You Cards

1. Trim Paper for Kid Thank You Cards

A simple one-fold card works well for kid thank you cards, with space for the kiddo’s drawing on the front and message on the inside (although sometimes the art drifts inside the card). Trim paper to a size that fits in your envelopes – we use 4” x 6”. Scissors work, but a paper trimmer is easier, straighter, faster, and more fun. This is an adult/older kid step, unless the young child uses safety scissors.

Fold paper in half. This can be tricky for young kiddos, so start the fold and let them finish.

2. Decorate Front of Card

Set out art supplies – markers, glitter gel markers, colored pencils, and/or stamps – and let the kiddo create. Offer a gentle suggestion if the kiddo needs a prompt, maybe draw the gift, the person or a favorite animal. For kiddos at the scribble phase, encourage them to use more than one color.

Stamps and stamp pads are fun and often the stamp has space the child can color.

When complete, ask the child to name the art and write it at the bottom of the card (or have the child write if they are a writer). For more abstract works, use labels with arrows to identify what the kiddo drew.

Be sure to save kid art and reuse for thank you cards. When they paint on a regular sheet of paper, cut it into note card size and put aside for the next time you need to send a thank you. For some ideas, check out painting with Ikea squeeze paint.

3. Write Thank You Note

Older kids can write their own thank you note. Prompt them to say thank you, identify the gift, explain how they will use or why they appreciate the gift and add a personal note.

For non-writers, grab a pen and get ready to write fast! Ask the kiddo what they want to tell the gift giver to thank them. Prompt them with a reminder of the gift and why they like it. Write down their response as close to verbatim as possible to capture all the young kiddo cuteness.

4. Mail the Thank You Cards

Kiddos can help put the thank you cards in envelopes and add stamps. Feel free to draw a little on the back of the envelope. Take it to the mailbox together and talk about how the mail service works.