DIY Thank You Cards
I love boxes of simple thank you cards that are blank on the inside.
With Teacher Appreciation Week right around the corner, I’m thinking a lot about how grateful I am for Little Guy’s daycare teachers. They really go above and beyond to provide him with a safe, enriching, play based environment to learn and grow. In this two-part tutorial, I’ll show you two different methods for making thank you cards. The first method will be accessible to toddlers starting around 18 months old, though the 2-4 year old age group will probably get more out of it. The second method will be more appropriate for older children, teenagers, and adults who would like to make a handmade card that doesn’t look like it was hastily thrown together.
Of course, your child can and should be working on thank you cards throughout the year for gifts that they receive or experiences that are particularly meaningful for them, like a special trip to the zoo with their aunt. However, since Teacher Appreciation Week is May 3-7 this year, that’s what these particular cards are for.
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Components of a Meaningful Thank You Card
As obvious as it may seem to some, many people actually don’t know how to write a meaningful thank you card. I’m very fortunate that my grandmother taught me the fundamentals at an early age. Here are some tips for writing a genuine thank you card.
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Begin and end with the words “thank you.”
Be specific.
What did you do together / What gift did they give you?
How did you feel when you did/received it?
What is one memory that you’ll treasure or How do you plan to use the item?
If you have future plans, reference them toward the end. If you don’t, don’t add in something like “let’s set up a coffee date” unless you actually mean it.
“I’m looking forward to celebrating X with you (when?).
Include a meaningful closing - not “best.” “Best” is not appropriate for a thank you card.
Instead of “best,” try “love, lots of love, love always, yours, your friend, your loving (relationship), cheers, fond regards, in appreciation, many thanks”
Help your child determine what kind of closing is the most appropriate for the person they’re writing to. After all, it might be awkward to put “love always” on a thank you note to the kid down the street for the cool truck.
Toddler Friendly DIY Thank You Card
My son’s daycare teachers spend so much time carefully setting up crafts that are accessible to him and meaningful to us as parents, so I feel like the least I can do is have him make something from the heart for them. Since Little Guy is such a huge fan of stickers and flowers, we’re going to incorporate them into these cards. Please feel free to substitute whatever your toddler is most interested in right now!
Materials
Blank A1 cards are an essential item in my stationary kit.
Simple thank you cards or blank white cards
Stickers
Crayons, markers, or paint (whichever your toddler loves the most!)
Marker for the adult to write “Thank you”
Black, metallic silver, or metallic gold work best
Procedure
If you’re using a blank, white card, tape it to a piece of printer paper so that your toddler can only color one side of the card. If you’re using a simple thank you card, skip to Step 2.
Offer your toddler an assortment of stickers and encourage them to place the stickers on the card. The less direction you provide here, the more authentic your child’s artwork will be.
Write Thank You on the inside or back of the card, but not over your child’s artwork.
Write a brief, but meaningful message inside.
Looking for gift ideas?
Head over to The Dragon Mama for some thoughtful gift ideas!
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