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Watercolor Gift Card Holder for Mother's Day

If you're giving Mom a gift card for Mother's Day, personalize it with this DIY Watercolor gift card holder. Just download and print the template, then turn it into a masterpiece with our easy cheater watercolor method using markers!
Prep Time30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Watercolor

  • Printable Mother's Day Template
  • Mixed Media Paper
  • Markers
  • Spray bottle with Water
  • Gallon size ziplock bag
  • Paper Towels

For Folding the Card

  • Scissors
  • Adhesive

Instructions

  • Trim paper down to 8.5x11 and print out the template (if using a laser printer - if using an ink jet printer, do the watercoloring before printing).
    Lay a gallon size ziplock bag next to your paper. Scribble on the ziplock bag with a few different colors of markers in the upper left quarter of the bag.
    Mother's Day card printed on paper; hand coloring on a ziplock bag with markers
  • Spray the bag with water until the ink beads up.
    Hand spraying water onto the ink on a ziplock bag
  • Flip the bag over onto the top right quarter of your paper. Use your fingertips (not nails) to blend the ink, then peel away the bag. Use a paper towel to clean up any ink that is running off the paper. You can also dab at your design with a paper towel if it seems extremely wet, or link the colors are blending too much.
    Bag with ink has been flipped over onto the paper, hand is blending the colors
  • Repeat the watercolor effect on the lower left quarter of the paper (you may or may not need to apply more ink and water to the bag before doing so).
    Applying watercolors using a plastic bag on the bottom left quarter of the paper
  • Allow your paper to dry completely before continuing. You may also want to leave the paper between two heavy books overnight to flatten it out before folding the card. If you are using an ink jet printer, print the template onto the card after it's completely dry.
  • To fold the card: Keeping the decorated side out, fold the paper in half lengthwise, then in half widthwise.
    Card template folded in half lengthwise; card template folded in half widthwise
  • Cut and discard the bottom right quarter of the paper. Also cut along the line on the bottom left and discard that portion as well.
    Card template opened flat; bottom right quarter has been cut away; bottom left section has been cut away
  • Flip the card over, and fold up the flap on the right. Fold it in along the diagonal dashed line, then place adhesive on either side of the flap to create a pocket for the gift card.
    Flap has been folded up inside the card to create a pocket for a gift card