Help! No tools.

[GlendaC]

I love my tools! However, I gave my neighbour a pack of cards and she wants to start creating with her 5 and 9 year old boys. She has NO tools! I came up with the attached idea sheet (jpg & pdf of same sheet). I thought it was worth seeking the wealth of ideas that must be out there to offer her some more suggestions.

She picked up a magazine that had ideas for beginners and thought she couldn't even start without a bone folder. I don't know about everyone else, but I made cards for the family years ago, before I really got the bug, when I didn't even own a Cuttlebug.

The things on my sheet are obvious, but only to those who think card making. Included are: glitter, rub-ons, brads, sequins, layering, inchies, tea bag folding, etc., etc. (The sheet is an idea sheet only and not meant to be artistic.)

Anyway, hoping you can all help with a mass of other ideas only using items found in most households or that children might be expected to have e.g. paints and crayons.

Thanks,
Glenda

[sylviad]

I am watching this thread in the hopes that you will get some ideas flowing back. Your ideas are really helpful, but I am hoping for more from our SCS friends.

I need to put together a card making workshop for some mentally challenged teens and need things they can make and sell to raise funds. I am leaning towards punched patterned paper and simple embossing with an adult doing the actual heating of the powder.

Come on girls, lets put on those thinking caps.

[diane617]

I hope she has at least an inkpad or 2!
If so, wax paper resist or crayon resist. But she could add color with the kids watercolors. Wouldn't really need brayer to apply color.

[asuncionshija]

Sorry, I couldn't read your ideas (not your writing, my eyes!) so I hope I don't duplicate anything....
How about bleach (on paper) or lemon juice. Anything can be a cool pattern, sponge on some bleach through a mesh bag that had produce in it? Make stamps out of 1/2 a potato & use that.
Drop some clear nail polish in water & pull dark paper through (makes great rainbows).
Cut out shapes from typing paper & use that as a mask for ink, pen, colored pencils - whatever coloring method they want.
Crayon resist would be cool... maybe combine that with bleach?
Dunno, hope I gave you at least a couple ideas!

[GlendaC]

Thanks for the response. Hopefully there will be a few more too. I passed on a package of left over die cuts etc. along with the sheet of ideas and the boys played for an hour that evening and I was presented with a card today. I had been hoping this thread would take off and produce some great ideas that all we could use.

[stampwithdiane]

Tearing and paper piecing are two ideas that do not require any tools. (except scissors for the paper piecing). And she could easily do paper piercing with just a thumb tack. She could also apply the ink direct to paper from her ink pad tocreate interesting backgrounds.

[Cook22]

Stamping using potatoes to make the stamps? We used to do that. Good for a block design for background papers. Also finger painting, you can come up with some quite cute birds and snowmen and so on that would be good on cards. Definitely origami, there are a lot of patterns available online, and in youth clubs I've always found the boys more interested than the girls. With a fish or bird, then you can just paint some background in, very basic. Stikcers - the little girl I used to mind loved using stickers on her cards.
I've seen some lovely cards made using Fimo and Formello. OK, they'd be a bit bulky to post but great for giving by hand. Even little small cookie cutters will work with that!