Get Yeti for winter with my cute Abominable Snowman craft that doubles as an optional gift card holder! My Yeti craft is quick and easy for kids to make for the holidays!

Astrobrights® Paper asked me to design a kid-friendly winter craft using their Astrodesigns® White and Astrodesigns® Standard cardstock packs. I love how the super bright white paper makes the vibrant colors in the Standard pack really pop!

See also: Gingerbread Garland with Ugly Sweaters >

Cute winter Yeti craft for kids

Here’s my fun twist on the quirky Yeti trend. I started by drawing a cute Yeti Abominable Snowman wearing mittens and a cozy winter hat. Then I digitized my drawing, cleaned it up, and created a free printable Yeti template for you to download. It’s a quick and easy “print, cut and glue” winter craft project for kids.

Add a holiday gift with my free gift holder printable template

Is it a Yeti craft? Is it a holiday gift card holder? It’s both! Turn my Yeti craft into a holiday gift by adding my “brown paper package tied up with strings” that cleverly hides a gift card inside. Download my free printable gift card template below, print the holder onto brown cardstock paper, slide a gift card inside, and tie it up with string, Julie Andrews style. Then tuck the gift card under the Yeti’s arm for him to hold and “deliver” teachers, babysitters and friends.

Easy Abominable Snowman winter craft idea

Are you Yeti to make your own Abominable Snowman? Just print my template onto Astrodesigns® cardstock, cut and assemble the pieces, and spread some winter cheer!

Supplies for making my Abominable Snowman Yeti craft:

• Kathy printable Yeti template (PDF) at Astrobrights.com
• Astrodesigns® White cardstock pack
• Astrodesigns® Standard cardstock pack
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Adhesive glue dot
• Baker’s twine (I used the red & white twine) or string
• Washi tape
• Gift card from your favorite shop

How to make my easy Yeti craft for winter fun:

Step 1: Download and print my Yeti craft printable templates

Download my free Yeti template (PDF) at Astrobrights.com. Then print my Yeti templates onto white and light blue Astrodesigns paper.

Step 2: Cut out the Yeti pieces

Cut out the Yeti pieces using good paper scissors.

Step 3: Glue the Yeti pieces together

Next, glue the light blue face, feet, and tummy onto the white Yeti body. Add white bangs and teeth. Glue the Yeti bangs onto the Yeti head, then glue the Yeti head onto the Yeti body. Leave off the arms for now; you’ll add them in a later step.

Step 4: Print the Yeti’s cozy hat and mittens

Print my winter hat and mittens templates onto Astrodesigns cardstock paper. You can choose your favorite colors – I used orange, yellow and red.

Step 5: Cut out the mittens and hat pieces

Cut out the Yeti’s two mittens and three hat pieces using good paper scissors.

Step 6: Add mittens to the Yeti’s arms

Glue the mittens to the Yeti’s arms. Then glue ONLY the shoulder of each arm to the Yeti’s body; it’s important to glue just the Yeti’s shoulders so that his arms and hands are still loose to hold the brown paper package.

Step 7: Add the winter hat

Glue the hat pieces together. Then glue the hat to the Yeti’s head. Here’s a tip: Be sure to put the glue on the Yeti’s head FIRST rather than onto the entire hat …unless you like gluing your craft projects onto your table. 😀

How to add the optional ‘brown paper packages tied up with strings’ gift card holder

You can add an optional ‘brown paper package tied up with strings’ to your Yeti Snowman to turn him into a fun holiday gift for teachers, babysitters, and friends.

Step 1: Print my free gift holder template

Print my holiday gift card holder template onto light brown cardstock paper.

Step 2: Cut out the gift holder

Cut out the card holder using good paper scissors and fold down its four flaps.

Step 3: Glue the gift card holder sides

Glue the two side flaps to make the gift card holder and let it fully dry.

Step 4: Add your gift card to the holder

Slide a gift card inside the holder. Add a small piece of Washi tape to close the holder’s flap.

Step 5: Tie a string around the ‘brown paper package’

Tie a piece of string around the gift card holder; I used red and white Baker’s twine. Tie a small bow to create a brown paper package tied up with string (cue Julie Andrews!!).

Step 6: Attach the ‘brown paper package tied up with string’ to your Yeti

Tuck the brown paper package under the Yeti’s arm and secure with an adhesive glue dot. And now your cute holiday gift is Yeti to go!

Be sure to pin my cute Yeti craft for winter fun!

And see my other original paper crafts for Astrobrights including my Ugly Sweater Gingerbread Friends Garland, Northern Lights paper candle wraps, Valentine’s Day Animal Puns Chocolate Bars, Mugs & Kisses Coffee Bar, S’mores Paper Campfire Playset, Graduation Tassels Money Holder and many more.

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Like it? Share it!
The nicest way to say you like it is to pin it on Pinterest, post a comment, follow Merriment Design on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for monthly emails. Enjoy! 🙂

Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post Cute Yeti DIY Gift Card Holder for Christmas | Abominable Snowman Winter Craft appeared first on Merriment Design.

Bring some mayhem to your mums with my Monster DIY Halloween Floral Picks! My easy Halloween plant stakes transform your flowers and potted plants into playful, not-so-scary monsters, perfect for bring your plants to life with silly monster faces.

Halloween floral picks to DIY-for 💀

My monster-themed plant stakes are a fun way to give your plants some Halloween spirit. Decorate your mums with mischievous monster faces with pipe cleaner “legs” that help them stand among the flowers waiting to greet trick-or-treaters.

Monster-themed free printable decorations for Halloween

ASTROBRIGHTS® Papers asked me to create a kid-friendly Halloween project for Astrobrights.com, and I went all-in on monsters! Along with these Monster Mums Floral Picks, I also designed a Monster Eye Wreath, Monster Candy Bowl, and ‘TRICKS’ Halloween Banner to decorate a covered front porch, elementary classroom, or Halloween party. Thanks, ASTROBRIGHTS Papers, for sponsoring my free printable Monster Halloween Decorations!

Not-so-scary Halloween plant ideas

Looking for ideas to decorate your plants for Halloween? Transform your fall mums into monsters with my easy-to-make floral picks. Download my free printable template, assemble your monsters, and pop the pipe cleaner stakes into your mums to bring your flowers to life!

I designed these decorations with elementary-aged kids in mind. We have a lot of young kids in our neighorhood, so I wanted decor that they’d be excited rather than scared to see. My friendly monsters will dress up your front porch or even a Halloween party with some lighthearted fun.

More DIY Monster Halloween Decorations

Supplies for making my Monsters DIY Halloween Floral Picks

• Kathy’s free printable Monsters Halloween Decorations at Astrobrights.com (PDF)
• ASTROBRIGHTS® cardstock paper in Cosmic Orange™, Orbit Orange™, Outrageous Orchid™, Gravity Grape™, Terra Green™, Gamma Green™ and Solar Yellow™ — I used the Astrodesigns Fall assortment pack and Astrodesigns Delightful assortment pack.
• Good paper scissors
• Thin black marker
• Glue stick and clear tape
• Pipe cleaners, wooden skewers, or wooden dowels

How to decorate plants for Halloween with my monster plant picks

Step 1: Print and assemble monster faces

Download my free printable Monsters Halloween Decorations at Astrobrights.com. You’ll want to follow my steps 1-3 from my DIY Monster Wreath instructions to create monster faces for floral picks. I drew lots of silly monster faces for you to pick your favorites. Print it onto ASTROBRIGHTS® cardstock paper in your favorite colors; I used Cosmic Orange™, Orbit Orange™, Outrageous Orchid™, Gravity Grape™, Terra Green™, Gamma Green™ and Solar Yellow™.

Step 2: Tape monster faces onto pipe cleaners or wooden skewers or dowels

This is the “stake” part of the plant stake. You can use either pipe cleaners or wooden skewers. Note that pipe cleaners work well in potted mums, while wooden skewers or dowels work well for indoor plants. Tape the pipe cleaners or wooden skewers onto the back of a monster face. I used two pipe cleaners for larger monsters and one pipe cleaner for the teeny ones. Glue a second monster face to the backs of the plant stakes, sandwiching pipe cleaners inside, to make reversible plant stakes.

Step 3: Add finished plant picks to potted mums or plants

Gently stick the floral picks into mums or potted plants. Bring on the trick-or-treaters!

Be sure to pin my Monsters DIY Halloween Plant Picks

And see more of my paper crafts that I’ve designed for Astrobrights including my Gingerbread Pals in Ugly Sweaters, Camping Playset, 3D Seashells, Dinosaur Birthday Party, S’mores Campfire Playset, Jokes Valentines, Mother’s Day Gem Bookmarks, and oodles more. Happy Halloween!

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Like it? Share it!
The nicest way to say you like it is to pin it on Pinterest, post a comment, follow Merriment Design on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for monthly emails. Enjoy! 🙂

Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post Monster Mums DIY Halloween Floral Picks appeared first on Merriment Design.

Download my monstrously cute TRICKS Halloween banner printable! My easy DIY Halloween decoration transforms letters into playful monsters with glowing yellow eyes, stitched mouths, and claw-shredded bunting. This monster banner is great for adding a touch of not-so-scary fun to your elementary or preschool classroom, Halloween party, or covered front porch for greeting trick-or-treaters. Simply print, craft, and hang!

It’s part of my monster-themed DIY Halloween decor idea

ASTROBRIGHTS® Papers asked me to design a colorful Halloween craft project for their website, so I decorated a front porch with monster-themed DIY Halloween decorations including a Monster Eye Wreath, Monster Candy Bowl, and Monster Mums. Thanks so much to ASTROBRIGHTS Papers for sponsoring my Halloween decoration ideas!

See also: Subtle Spiderwebs Halloween Front Porch Decor >

Make a ‘Tricks’ Halloween banner with monster eyes

My “Tricks” banner decoration captures the spirit of Halloween in a not-so-spooky way for elementary and preschool kids. Each letter features bright yellow eyes and a stitched mouth.

Printable Halloween banner to download and DIY

My DIY Halloween banner printable doubles as an easy Halloween craft, so grab the kids to help! You’ll download and print the letters onto green cardstock paper and add yellow paper eyes. Then cut the letters out and glue onto cut purple cardstock paper backgrounds. Trust me – using cardstock paper is a lot more fun than only printing a Halloween banner, it uses waaay less printer ink, and the colors are more vibrant to boot.

Supplies for making my ‘Tricks’ Halloween banner

• Kathy’s free printable monsters decorations at Astrobrights.com
• ASTROBRIGHTS® card stock paper in Outrageous Orchid™, Gravity Grape™, Terra Green™, Gamma Green™ and Solar Yellow™ — I used the ASTRODESIGNS Fall assortment pack and ASTRODESIGNS Delightful assortment pack
• Black markers – one thin black marker, one thick black marker
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Hole punch
• Baker’s twine string for hanging the banner
• Long push pins or strong tape for hanging the banner

How to make my ‘Tricks’ Halloween banner decoration with monster eyes

Step 1: Download, print and cut out my monster eye letters

Download my monster eye letters and print onto Terra Green cardstock paper. Then print monster eyes onto Solar Yellow cardstock paper and cut out. Glue yellow eyes onto the letters with a glue stick.

Step 2: Add fuzzy fur around each letter (optional)

Add a some optional fuzziness to your monster letters! Glue cut-out letters on top of Terra Green cardstock paper using a glue stick, leaving a little bit of a green border around each letter. Next, draw lots of furry lines around them with a thin black marker. Roughly cut out the fuzzy letters – the fuzzier look, the better.

Step 3: Create ‘claw-torn’ bunting for each letter

Give your Halloween a monstrous look by cutting the bottom edges of five pieces of 8-1/2″ x 11″ letter-sized Gravity Grape cardstock paper to look like it’s been ripped by monster claws. Ack! Then glue cut polygons of Outrageous Orchid cardstock paper on top to create claw-shredded bunting that spells T-R-I-C-K-S.

Step 4: Glue letters to the bunting

Glue each letter to the bunting using a glue stick and let dry.

Step 5: Hang your monster Halloween banner

Punch holes on each side of the letters using a hole punch. String the letters onto bakers twine and hang. Add my DIY Monster Halloween Wreath, Monster Eyes Halloween Candy Bowl, and Monsters Mums Decor for maximum monster mayhem!

Be sure to pin my ‘Tricks’ DIY Halloween banner:

And see more of my paper crafts that I’ve designed for Astrobrights including my Gingerbread Pals in Ugly Sweaters, Camping Playset, 3D Shells, Dinosaur Birthday Party, Smores Campfire Playset, Jokes Valentines, Mother’s Day Gem Bookmarks, and oodles more. Happy Halloween!

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Like it? Share it!
The nicest way to say you like it is to pin it on Pinterest, post a comment, follow Merriment Design on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for monthly emails. Enjoy! 🙂

Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post ‘TRICKS’ Halloween Banner Printable Decor with Monster Eyes appeared first on Merriment Design.

Add some ghoulish fun to your Halloween candy with my Monster Eyes Candy Bowl! This easy DIY Halloween candy bowl idea is a quick and easy way to add some spooky-fun to your porch or Halloween party.

ASTROBRIGHTS® Papers asked me to design a colorful Halloween craft project using fall colors. Be sure to visit Astrobrights.com for all of my monster Halloween decorations that I designed for them.

See also: DIY Halloween Monster Wreath >>

Be sure to pin my Monster Eyes Candy Bowl Halloween Craft

And see more of my paper crafts for ASTROBRIGHTS® Papers including my Gingerbread Pals in Ugly Sweaters, Camping Playset, 3D Shells, Dinosaur Birthday Party, Smores Campfire Playset, Jokes Valentines, and many more. Happy Halloween!

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Like it? Share it!
The nicest way to say you like it is to pin it on Pinterest, post a comment, follow Merriment Design on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for monthly emails. Enjoy! 🙂

Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post Monster Eyes DIY Halloween Candy Bowl appeared first on Merriment Design.

Looking for a creative graduation money gift idea for your favorite student? Make my big paper tassels with cash rolled inside for an easy DIY graduation gift idea they’ll love!

Easy cash gift idea to make for graduates

It’s no secret that graduates like cash. My big paper tassels are an easy and creative way to give money as graduation gifts and accommodate a wide range of dollar amounts. Just choose your desired denominations and roll 4 or more bills inside each paper tassel. Voila!

Creative DIY graduation money gift idea

ASTROBRIGHTS Paper asked me to create a creative graduation gift idea for them using their colorful cardstock paper. This post is sponsored and all opinions are mine. My niece graduates from high school this year, and I wanted to design a fun way to give her money for her graduation gift. When she was younger, I used to make her DIY gifts such as my Kid’s Apron Sewing Pattern, Family Coloring Book and Fabric Memory Game but from middle school and up she’s preferred gift cards and cash. I’ve always wrapped her gift cards and cash creative ways such as my Mitten Gift Cards Holder for Christmas, so I wanted to come up with something clever for her high school graduation gift.

And what’s more iconic for graduation than tassels?? So, I played around trial-and-error with making big tassels using ASTRODESIGNS® 12” x 12” cardstock paper and devised an easy way to roll money inside. Clever, yes?

See also: DIY Graduation Gift Card Holder Bookmark >>

Unique way to give cash for graduation

I think my big tassels are a really unique and creative way to give cash for graduation. Start by choosing two sheets of 12″ x 12″ ASTRODESIGNS® cardstock paper. Then follow my step-by-step instructions below to roll the money inside the big paper tassel.

Personalize your DIY graduation gift with colors, graduation year, and hidden messages

You can personalize your graduation tassels by choosing paper colors that match your graduate’s school colors.

You can also write a special message inside that graduates will see when they unroll the tassel to retrieve their cash.

Graduation years 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2023 included for free!

Lucky for you, I planned ahead for this graduation craft, so I designed graduation years 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030. Need another year? Just email me. Which ASTRODESIGNS® paper colors will you choose to make your big graduation tassels?

Supplies for making my Big Tassels DIY Graduation Money Gift Idea

• Kathy Beymer’s printable big graduation tassel templates (choose between PDF and SVG for paper cutting machines)
• ASTRODESIGNS® 12” x 12” cardstock paper that match your school colors – two sheets per tassel plus one sheet of Solar Yellow™
• (1) Good paper scissors or (2) craft knife and metal ruler with self-healing mat or (3) paper cutting machine
• Removable Washi tape or painter’s tape
• Clear tape
• Glue dots
• Yellow yarn
• Thin Sharpie marker for writing a hidden message inside
• Cash money: I recommend using 4 or more bills

How to make my Big Tassels DIY Money Gift Idea for Graduation

Step 1: Choose tassel colors and cut fringe

Choose two sheets of ASTRODESIGNS® 12” x 12” cardstock paper that match your graduate’s school colors. For each sheet, cut 9” strips of tassel fringe approximately ¼” wide along the bottom edge of the paper. This will leave an uncut 3” x 12” strip along the top where you’ll affix money in step 5. (NOTE: You can adjust your fringe length to fit currency other than US Dollars).

To cut fringe, you can either use a craft knife and metal ruler with self-healing mat like I did, or download my SVG file for your paper cutting machine, or just use good paper scissors. The fringe takes less time to cut than you think and doesn’t have to be perfect to look cute.

Step 2: Tape fringe together into one large rectangle

Place the two fringed paper squares on a table so they’re touching side-by-side. Tape them together along the 3” solid paper seam to create one large paper rectangle (there’s no need to tape the 9” fringe section). If you chose two different colors to create your tassel, I recommend first cutting both 12” x 12” cardstock paper sheets in half and alternating colors before taping them together which will create a more mixed-color tassel. The color on the right side will be the outside color of the tassel, so arrange colors accordingly.

Step 3 (optional): Write a congratulations message to the graduate inside

You can choose to write a personal congratulations message to the graduate along the 3” uncut edge that they’ll see when they unroll their cash. I used a thin Sharpie marker.

Step 4: Add hanging cord to the tassel

Cut a 20” piece of yellow yarn and fold in half. Using clear tape, tape the yarn’s cut ends onto the far left end of the paper rectangle. 

Step 5: Add money for your graduation gift

Now it’s time to add cash! Flip the rectangle over so the message is touching the table. Then align one bill along the top edge next to the yarn. Using small pieces of removable Washi tape or painter’s tape (it’s important to only use removable tape on money), secure left and right edges of the bill onto the cardstock paper. Repeat for all bills; feel free to overlap the bills as needed based on the amount of money that you’re giving.

Step 6: Roll the money inside the paper tassel

Flip the rectangle over so the taped yellow yarn and message are visible and the bills are touching the table. Starting at the yarn end, tightly roll the cardstock paper and money to create a big tassel, adjusting the bills as needed while you roll. Keep rolling until the tassel is complete, then add removable Washi tape to secure the tassel.

Step 7: Wrap ‘metal band’ around the tassel

Now we’ll add the ‘metal band’ and graduation year in Solar Yellow™. Download my template, either PDF to print and cut or SVG for your paper cutting machine. Wrap the yellow ‘metal band’ around the neck of the tassel and secure it with glue dots, ending at the rolled seam so that it can be easily unrolled in step 8. You can add a yellow piece of removable Washi tape to help hide the seam. 

Step 8: Add graduation year (2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030)

I designed all of the graduation years from 2024 to 2030 for you. Download my graduation year template and print your desired graduation year onto Solar Yellow™ and cut out or use my SVG template with a paper cutting machine. Then glue the graduation year to the ‘metal band’ using a glue dot.

Step 9: Give your DIY money gift to the graduate!

Give the big tassel to your graduate so they can unroll their cash!

Be sure to pin my easy DIY graduation money gift idea for later

And see more of my paper crafts for ASTROBRIGHTS paper including my S’mores Campfire Playset, Tent Camping Playset, Paper Bead Jewelry, Geometric Dinosaur birthday party, Upcycled Paper Vases, Family Birthstone Birthmarks, and many more.

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Like it? Share it!
The nicest way to say you like it is to pin it on Pinterest, post a comment, follow Merriment Design on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for monthly emails. Enjoy! 🙂

Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post Creative Graduation Money Gift Idea for 2025: Big Tassels with Hidden Cash Inside appeared first on Merriment Design.

Handmade Mother’s Day bookmarks make a creative DIY gift idea for Moms who love reading. See how to craft my personalized Birthstone Bookmarks for Mom that are like birthstone jewelry for book lovers.

“Mom, You’re a Gem” bookmarks gift idea

My cute “Mom, You’re a Gem” Mother’s Day bookmarks printable template features colorful paper gems representing each family member’s birthstone. Add paper gems to represent family birthdays. Plus, I’ll show you how to make a cute paper tassel to save her place in her current read.

Printable Mother’s Day bookmarks idea for Mom

My easy Mother’s Day bookmarks are available in two sizes, perfect for all kinds of families. Whether it’s Mother’s Day or her birthday, these family birthstone bookmarks are a quick and creative DIY gift idea to make for Mom. 

It’s like birthstone jewelry for book lovers

You know the popular birthstone jewelry gifts for Mom? These Birthstone Bookmarks are like that, but for books. ASTROBRIGHTS Paper asked me to design a DIY gift idea for Mother’s Day. My mom is an avid reader, and family birthstone jewelry is a popular birthday and Mother’s Day gift idea, so I melded the two ideas together to make you this creative family birthstone bookmark craft that you can make for all of your favorite moms.

See also: Modern fingerpaint drink coasters DIY gift idea >

Easy DIY Mother’s Day gift idea for Moms who love reading books

Make this Mother’s Day a real page-turner with my DIY bookmark for moms who love to read. My personalized Birthstone Bookmarks makes a perfect Mother’s Day DIY gift idea for book-loving moms. Pair your handmade bookmark with a new book or gift certificate to give a book-themed gift to Mom.

Creative Mother’s Day bookmark for Mom

Looking for a creative gift idea for a Mom who loves reading books? Make her my personalized Birthstone Birthmarks that are like birthstone jewelry for books. Download my free printable bookmark template and type family names to customize a bookmark with birthstones that represent her family members. My bookmark is a thoughtful and unique gift she’ll cherish every time she opens her favorite book.

Printable bookmark template for Mother’s Day

You can make family birthstone bookmarks for Mother’s Day for your own mom, or a mom friend, or grab the kids to make one together for yourself! Download my printable bookmark template at Astrobrights.com and print onto your chosen colors to surprise Mom with a sentimental handmade gift that’s useful, too!

Supplies for making Mother’s Day bookmarks:

• Kathy’s printable family birthstone bookmarks PDF editable template – Download at Astrobrights.com
• ASTROBRIGHTS Spectrum cardstock pack and Champagne Pearl™ Metallic Finish cardstock pack
• Good paper scissors and optional craft knife, metal ruler, and self-healing mat
• Glue stick
• Double-sided tape
• ⅛” hole punch
• Embroidery floss

How to make easy bookmarks for Mom for birthdays and Mother’s Day

Step 1: Download my Birthstones Bookmarks free printable template

Download Kathy’s birthstone bookmarks free printable template at Astrobrights.com. I designed two sizes of bookmark templates: 2” x 6” bookmarks for 1-3 family members and 2” x 8” bookmarks for 4-6 family members. To add any additional family members, you can always make reversible bookmarks that include birthstones on both sides, or make more than one bookmark to include all family members.

Step 2: Personalize Mom’s bookmark with names of children, grandchildren, and other family members

My free printable bookmarks template is editable, which means you can type into the editable fields to personalize family names.

Open my free bookmark template into Acrobat Reader rather than a web browser (editable PDFs can be fussy in web browsers), type names of Mom’s family — children, grandchildren, and other family members — into the fields. Contact me if you need any help with this step.

Step 3: Print Mother’s Day bookmarks onto colorful cardstock paper

Print bookmarks onto either shimmery Champagne Pearl™ Metallic Finish cardstock paper (cut large sheets to fit your printer) or your mom’s birthstone color. I recommend using cardstock paper weight for bookmarks for sturdiness.

Step 4: Add colorful paper birthstone gems for family members

Print paper gems onto the Astrobrights paper colors that matches your chosen birthstones and cut out a gem for each family member. Glue gems onto the bookmark. Add your mom’s birthstone color to the O in MOM. You can use any extra gems to decorate the backs of your bookmarks or embellish gift wrapping paper or handmade Mother’s Day cards and birthday cards.

Have fun and be loose with this Mother’s Day craft. Choose birthstone colors for Mom, children, grandchildren, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, step-children and grandchildren, spouses, whatever family members you wish, or even simply Mom’s favorite colors. There are no rules, just love for Mom!

Step 5: Make cute paper tassels for your Mother’s Day bookmark

Print my tassel template onto cardstock paper. Using good paper scissors, cut very thin strips on the long edge, leaving ¼” uncut along the edge. Affix strong double-sided tape to the uncut edge and peel back the tape to expose the adhesive.

Next, fold an 8” piece of embroidery floss in half and place the cut edges onto the left edge of the sticky tape.

Tightly roll the tassel from left to right, capturing the embroidery floss inside.

Step 6: Tie paper tassel to Mom’s handmade bookmark

Punch a hole into your handmade bookmark using a ⅛” hole punch.

Tie the paper tassel to your birthstone bookmark by putting the embroidery floss through the hole. Then feed the tassel through the hole and pull to tighten.

Step 7: Give your Mother’s Day bookmark to Mom paired with coordinating book-ish gifts

You can pair this handmade bookmark with book-related gifts like a new book, or a book store gift certificate, reading light, or a cute mug for warm drinks to sip while she enjoys reading her latest book.

Be sure to pin my ‘Mom, You’re a Gem’ Mother’s Day bookmarks

And see more of my Mother’s Day DIY gift ideas including a paper MOM wreath for Mother’s Day. 

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Like it? Share it!
The nicest way to say you like it is to pin it on Pinterest, post a comment, follow Merriment Design on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for monthly emails. Enjoy! 🙂

Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post “Mom, You’re a Gem” Birthstone Bookmarks | Easy DIY Mother’s Day Gift Idea appeared first on Merriment Design.

My printable outer space kid’s birthday card is a stellar way to say happy birthday. Download my unique Outer Space Birthday Card Printable PDF with personalized age that looks like a constellation. All birthday ages from a first birthday party to teens are included in one digital download.

Printable outer space card with custom birthday age constellations

My outer space printable birthday card features a birthday age shaped as a star constellation in a vast celestial galaxy. All ages from 1 to 19 are included in one digital download — please contact me to create any other custom ages for you. Whether your little astronaut is turning one or blasting off into the double digits, my stellar card is here to make their special day truly universal.

See also: Mandalorian Birthday Party Free Printable Banner »

Celestial galaxy birthday card for boys and girls

Featuring a unisex celestial design suitable for both boys and girls, my galaxy-themed birthday card is ideal for an outer space or galaxy-themed party! My unique outer space birthday card with their birthday age in a constellation shape caters to astronauts of all ages, from first birthdays and beyond.

Digital birthday card: Download once, print again and again

You can print my outer space birthday card as many times as you like for your own personal use. Print one for your own kid, and then print as many as you like whenever you like to give to friends on their birthdays.

Personalized galaxy card for a cosmic birthday

My astronomy-inspired birthday design creatively turns birthday ages into starry constellations. Get ready to celebrate like it’s the Big Bang—minus the cosmic chaos and with a whole lot more cake!

Merriment Design is supported by readers like you. If you buy products that I recommend, I may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks – your clicks help me make more free DIYs!

You’ll receive my high-quality 300 dpi PDF in 5×7 inch size. Print at home or your local printer on white cardstock paper. Print as many celestial birthday cards as you like for your own personal use.

Because different monitors/printers have different color calibrations and different papers soak up ink differently, your printed card may look slightly different when printed than on displayed your computer monitor. This is normal — it’s just how printing things works.

Be sure to pin my Outer Space Birthday Card with custom age shaped like a starry constellation

And see more of my handmade cards, birthday party ideas for boys and birthday party ideas for girls.

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Like it? Share it!
The nicest way to say you like it is to pin it on Pinterest, post a comment, follow Merriment Design on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for monthly emails. Enjoy! 🙂

Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post All Ages! Outer Space Birthday Card Printable PDF for a Space Party Theme appeared first on Merriment Design.

Make my toad-ally awesome animal puns free printable chocolate bar wrappers for Valentine’s Day! My free printable candy bar wrappers make tiger-iffic Valentine’s Day gifts for kids to give to teachers and classmates as well as grandparents, babysitters and neighbors. All you need to do is print out my candy bar wrappers template, cut it out, and wrap the template around chocolate candy bars. Easy!

Free printable chocolate bar wrappers template for Valentine’s Day

I designed three different animal valentines free printable templates for you to choose from: Toad, Tiger and Pig. And I made you two sizes of chocolate bar wrappers: one to fit standard size Hershey’s chocolate bars and one to fit larger dark chocolate bars. Just wrap my animal puns around chocolate bars to make an easy Valentine’s Day gift.

See also: Printable Valentine’s Day Jokes for Kids >>

Wrapped candy bars for Valentine’s Day

Astrobrights Paper asked me to create an original DIY Valentine’s gift idea for them. Thanks so much to Astrobrights Paper for sponsoring this post. I only work with brands that I use and love. The cheery ASTROdesigns Macron assortment paper pack is perfect for making my easy Valentine’s Day gift idea. In fact, Merry Mint™ inspired the toad, Punchy Peach™ the tiger, and of course Bubble Gum™ the pig. Thanks so much to Astrobrights for featuring this project on their Astrobrights.com home page!

Animal puns valentines class treats for kids

My tiger-iffic animal puns valentines are sure to delight! Kids can help make wrapped chocolate bars for their classmates, teachers, family, babysitters, and neighbors. Download my free printable chocolate bar wrappers template for a punny Valentine’s Day!

Pin my animal puns wrapped chocolate bars printable templates

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Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post Animal Puns Free Printable Chocolate Bar Wrappers Template for Valentine’s Day appeared first on Merriment Design.

Take a trip down Candy Cane Lane with me and make an easy DIY advent calendar from toilet paper rolls (or cardboard paper towel rolls) and tissue paper. 🎄

Making a handmade advent calendar is a fun Christmas craft idea to DIY with kids. Liam wanted a TeenyMates Advent Calendar but we couldn’t find one in stock so we decided to make it ourselves. I cut the toilet paper tubes in half and showed him how to cover them with tissue paper and cardstock paper, which he did by himself and I was impressed. Then he left the room while I opened the TeenyMates packages and glued them inside to keep each day a surprise for him. And yes, I do save a stash of empty toilet paper rolls and cardboard paper towel rolls. Doesn’t everyone?? 😁

We raided our recycling bin for cardboard to make the wrapped base, then grabbed some red and white cardstock paper and tissue paper that we already had in our craft closet. I love Christmas crafts that you can make without buying any special supplies!

See also: ‘Paper Gingerbread Pals Wearing Ugly Sweaters’ »

Merriment Design is supported by readers like you. If you buy products that I recommend, I may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks – your clicks help me make more free DIYs!

How to make a Christmas Countdown calendar from toilet paper tubes

Step 1: Make the advent calendar base

Upcycle a piece of cardboard into an advent calendar base. We cut our cardboard base to be 15″ x 20″ and wrapped it with some Christmas wrapping paper and clear tape.

Step 2: Cut tissue paper squares

Cut squares of tissue paper big enough to cover one end of each toilet paper roll or cardboard paper towel roll. You’ll cut 12 white tissue paper squares and 12 red tissue paper squares.

Step 3: Wrap tissue paper onto toilet paper roll ends

Cover one end of a toilet paper roll with a tissue paper square and secure with double-stick tape or clear tape. Cover only one end of each tube. You can either use whole toilet paper rolls or cut them into halves or even thirds depending on what treats you’re putting inside your handmade advent calendar. I cut 12 toilet paper tubes in half using a craft knife to make 24 tubes.

Step 4: Cover toilet paper rolls with red and white paper

Cut paper rectangles that will fully cover your toilet paper rolls. Our paper rectangles were 2″ x 6″ because we had cut our cardboard tubes in half. Use double-stick tape or clear tape to wrap the paper around the tubes to cover the brown cardboard. Repeat for all 24 tubes.

Step 5: Arrange cardboard tubes into a candy cane shape

Arrange tubes into white and red striped candy cane. Liam did this step by himself and I think it looks pretty good! So just follow his template below.

Step 6: Fill your handmade advent calendar with treats

Lift up a toilet paper roll and place a treat onto the base. Then use your glue gun to attach the toilet paper roll on top of the treat to cover it up. Repeat for all 24 tubes.

Step 7: Add numbers to your Christmas countdown calendar

Glue numbers 1-24 using a glue stick to create a countdown calendar. I used my paper cutting machine to cut out numbers individually, but you could instead simply print out my template and cut circles around each number –  here’s an example of what cut circles look like.

Step 8: Countdown to Christmas!

Kids can punch into each day to discover their daily treat. We keep our advent calendar on our entryway bench and find that it’s the first thing the kids want to do when they wake up in the morning for school. Happy Christmas countdown-ing!

Be sure to pin my DIY Advent Calendar project to count down to Christmas

And see more of my DIY Christmas ideas for decorations, gifts, and wrapping!

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Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post Candy Cane DIY Advent Calendar from Toilet Paper Rolls appeared first on Merriment Design.

Make my monstrously cute DIY Halloween monster wreath! My family-friendly Halloween wreath idea is perfect for kids who prefer funny over frightening. You can hang your monster wreath in so many places such as a covered front porch door, classroom door for preschoolers or elementary kids, or indoor Halloween decorations for a Halloween party!

Cute Halloween monster wreath that’s not-so-scary

ASTROBRIGHTS® Papers asked me to design a colorful Halloween craft project. Thanks so much to ASTROBRIGHTS for sponsoring this simple Halloween craft idea!

Our neighborhood is filled with young children, so I wanted to create a monster front door that wouldn’t spook little trick-or-treaters. My eleven-year-old and I hand-drew all the cute monsters for maximum personality. You can print and cut our monsters or draw your own using my blank templates.

See also: Skeletons free printable Halloween party decorations >

Add my cheeky TRICKS banner, monster plant picks, and haunted candy bowl to complete the front porch mayhem. Eek!! The monsters are here!

How to make my DIY Halloween monster wreath

Step 1: Print and cut out paper monsters 

First, go to Astrobrights.com to download my free printable monsters. Print and cut my monsters faces from ASTROBRIGHTS® card stock paper in Cosmic Orange, Terra Green, and Outrageous Orchid. If you’d like to draw your own monsters, just print my blank template and draw faces with a thick black m.

Step 3: Add fuzzy fur to your monsters

Make your monsters look fuzzy! Place monsters on top of Orbit Orange, Gravity Grape, and Terra Green cardstock paper and draw lots of furry lines with a thin black marker. Roughly cut out the fuzzy fur with good paper scissors and glue on the backs of the monsters using a glue stick.

Step 4: Wrap wreath form with strips of white cheesecloth

Wrap cheesecloth around your wreath form and secure with long push pins or straight pins. You should only need one package of cheesecloth for this Halloween craft unless you decide to use an extra-large wreath form for your front door.

Step 5: Add cute monsters to your wreath

You can add the cute monsters to your wreath in two different ways: I glued long push pins to the backs of my monsters using a glue stick so that I could move them around. Let the glue dry and push the pins into the wreath form. Or for a more permanent solution, use a glue gun to adhere the monsters to the wreath.

Pin my simple DIY Halloween Monster Wreath for your classroom door or covered front porch

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Be sure to see my other paper crafts for Astrobrights including my Gingerbread Pals in Ugly Sweaters, Camping Playset, 3D Shells, Dinosaur Birthday Party, Smores Campfire Playset, Jokes Valentines, and many more. Happy Halloween!

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Like it? Share it!
The nicest way to say you like it is to pin it on Pinterest, post a comment, follow Merriment Design on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or sign up for monthly emails. Enjoy! 🙂

Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use my free project, printable templates, and tutorials for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and Etsy sales. Momma’s gotta pay the bills.

The post Halloween Monster Wreath DIY for Your Door appeared first on Merriment Design.