Creating Holiday Cards with Potato Stamps

It's holiday time again! Christmas is right around the corner and Hanukkah just passed. Sending cards to loved ones and friends is always a nice thing to do, but does it seem a little repetitive sometimes? Maybe it's a little frustrating picking the right ones? I know when you have children they become the spotlight of the card, so that may make it tougher to decide on a design.

Well, no worries because this year it's DIY to the rescue! Why not get real creative this season and maybe even get the kids involved? My Potato Stamp project is super easy and takes little time to do. It's fun, affordable and everyone will love them.

Materials: potato (any size), paint, marker, a small knife or X-acto knife and paper.

First, you take the potato and cut it in half. Pat the flat side dry and draw your design. You can use any size potato. Just think of how big you want your card to be first. Also, think of holiday objects like Christmas trees, wreaths, holly, mistletoe and angels.

(If you don't have any potatoes in the kitchen, you can pick some up at the  on N. Long Beach Rd. or the  on Sunrise Highway)

Now that you have your design drawn out, take a small kitchen knife or X-acto knife and cut around the outline about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in.  Then continue to cut out the potato around the drawing. You want your object to stick out like a stamp.

(You can probably find X-acto knives at  on N. VIllage Ave. or  on Sunrise Highway)

Now you need to decide on a color and roll. Wipe or dip the potato stamp in it.  Make sure it's a thin layer so you don't have gobs of paint on the paper. Next, just place the stamp on the front of the card and you're done!

(You can use any paint you want for this project. Acrylic would work best though. You might find some at Rite Aid and CVS as well.  If not, try a local art and crafts store in the area.)

Now, you want to use paper that's thick enough to hold up to the paint, so computer or notebook paper is out. Stick with card stock, watercolor paper or a nice linen. Construction paper will work fine for the kids.

I hope you all enjoy this project. You can create a lot of cute things with potato stamps, so don't stop at cards. They're great for tags, signs, art projects for kids, t-shirts — the possibilities are endless. Get creative with DIY projects that show just how unique you really are. Doing it yourself is more rewarding in the end.