Reuse greeting cards for a kids spring and summer craft. Choose cards with pictures of pretty flowers for this creative process art activity.
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Greeting cards are ideal for reusing in kids crafts. They have beautiful colors and designs, they’re easy to cut and glue, and there’s no cost to you!
And it’s nice to be able to extend the special meaning of greeting cards you receive, and find it difficult to part with.
Holiday and seasonal cards are often printed with pretty flowers and landscapes, everything from a country garden to a bouquet of roses. The flower designs can be recycled for this beautiful art activity.
Related: Christmas cards winter art project.
Paper flowers art activity
This activity can be child-led – kids choose the materials and create designs on their own.
Set out the cards along with a variety of basic craft materials. Then let kids explore the materials to create a flower garden – or anything they choose!
You can precut flowers and other images from the cards beforehand if preferred.
Supplies for a recycled card craft
- construction paper
- crayons and markers
- craft foam sheets
- scissors
- glue
- craft sticks
- optional: feathers, pompoms, paper confetti
Besides scissors and glue, provide only enough materials to spark interest and creativity. It’s better to provide just a few items rather than overwhelm kids with too many choices.
Instructions for flower garden pictures
Instructions for this activity are minimal. The following suggestions will give you some ideas to guide the activity.
Cut flowers from the greeting cards.
Glue them onto a piece of construction paper. Kids can arrange and rearrange the parts before gluing them to create the garden scene.
Add stems.
OPTIONS: 1) Cut stems from pieces of craft foam or construction paper. 2) Glue craft sticks or straws for stems. 3) Draw stems with crayons or markers.
Add leaves.
Cut out leaves from construction paper or draw leaves with crayons and markers.
Add petals.
Create more petals, or larger petals, on the flowers cut from the cards, with crayons or markers.
Add grass.
Cut a rectangle out of green construction paper. Snip one long edge of the paper with scissors to create a grass effect.
Glue the grass to the picture. Bend back a few blades of grass with fingertips.
Paper garden craft
This art activity is easy to set up and needs little instruction. Once the materials are provided, kids can make choices, cut out flowers and glue them onto the paper.
Grownups can guide kids through the activity with conversation:
How many leaves did you put on your stem?
Where will the red flower grow in your garden?
I like the straw you used for a stem.
Keep in mind that outcomes in process art activities will differ according to the imagination and skill level of each child, and should not be dependent on expectations.
Art activities provide fun opportunities to engage developmental skills. Cutting and gluing strengthen fine motor skills, while planning and sorting promote cognitive and math skills.
Can you see other things to add to the picture? Maybe a bright yellow sun, or some fluffy white clouds?
Imagination is a powerful creative tool!
More flower crafts from bloggers we love!
Stamped Flower Craft / Happy Hooligans
Simple Paper Flower Craft / Easy Peasy and Fun
Tissue Paper Flower Craft / Buggy and Buddy
Paper Plate Flower Craft / The Resourceful Mama