Looking for a last-minute DIY gift for mom that’s easy, cheap, and fun to make?! Well friends, if so, it’s your lucky day! These marbled stationery cards are a cinch and are just as fun (and safe) for kids as they are for adults to make.

I had wanted to make a marbled card for Mother’s Day, so I initially started out the formal marbling paper way with linseed oil, oil paints, and a tub of water…but the chemical nature of the process made me feel a bit uncomfortable and due to all the precautions necessary with linseed oil I decided to scrap the idea. But then I remembered a MUCH simpler, safer, chemical-free way to make marbled paper that I had once done in elementary school. It only requires a few ingredients and you’ll most likely be very surprised to discover which basic household item it requires as a base. Continue on to find out how.

So what’s the secret ingredient?! It’s something a man in your life probably uses once a day. Any guesses!? Believe it or not, the secret ingredient is shaving cream! Yes, you heard me – SHAVING CREAM! Crazy, right?!  Who would’ve thought shaving cream could get you results that look as cool as this?

Materials Needed:

• Container
• Colors (either food coloring, watercolor paints, or watered-down acrylic paint)
• Separate containers for paint colors (disposable cups or paint tray)
• Paint brushes
• Foam-based shaving cream (not gel  – the cheaper, the better!)
• Skewers
• Watercolor paper or any thick high-quality matte cardstock
• Scissors
• Craft Stick
• Paper Towels
• Envelopes + Ribbon

 

Directions:

Before You Start: Prepping all your colors and your paper before you start will make the process much easier. Choose a selection of colors you want to use. If you’re going for a bold, primary palette, go ahead and use food coloring. If young kids will be doing this, set aside watercolor paints. For the adults, I like acrylics mixed with water due to the color variety options. Whichever paint you’re using, use individual cups (or a container such as an egg carton) to hold your colors. For each color, mix a dab of each acrylic paint with 1-2 Tbsp of water.

Look around your house to see if you have any spare envelopes. Once you have found some, cut your paper to size for your envelopes (cut to 2x the length of your envelopes x 1x the width, minus 1/4″ on each side). Can’t find any envelopes? No worries, just make your own – check out this YouTube tutorial HERE for doing so.

Step #1: Add the shaving cream into your dish, then use a craft stick (or your hand) to smooth out the surface.

 Step #2: Use a paintbrush to add splattered drops of paint color to the surface of the shaving cream.  [Note: If using food coloring, directly drop color onto shaving cream surface]

 Step #3: Use a skewer to marbleize the colors by dragging the end of the stick through the shaving cream.

 Step #4: Press your first paper down to lay flat on the surface of the marbled shaving cream. Once you can see a slight trace of the color on the side that’s facing upwards, lift up the paper, removing it from the container.

Step #5: Immediately, use a craft stick (or ruler) to gently wipe (scrape) the shaving cream completely off the paper. Set your first card aside to dry, and follow the same process for your next card. You should be able to get 5 or 6 cool cards before the color gets too concentrated. For each round, just add a few more droplets of color and drag the skewer through to add additional, unique details to each card. However, if you want a completely different color scheme for your other cards, wash out your container and start the process over from Step #1.

Step #6: Once the cards are completely dry, fold in half and score the crease. Double check to make sure they fit inside your envelopes and then position the envelopes and cards together by tying with a ribbon.

 Aren’t these cards just beyouuutiful?! And so easy, right?! I love how each card is unique in its own way, while still within the same palette as its fellow cards. I was initially going to make this DIY as just one card for Mom, but after falling in love with the look of these cards, I thought why not just make it a set as a gift for Mom!? Also, the small business stationery industry is just too good to not go out and find the perfect card for Mother’s Day (or any occasion for that matter). In case you’re still looking for that perfect card, here’s just a few of my fave card makers: Gold Teeth Brooklyn, People I’ve Loved, or Emily McDowell.

For more handmade gift ideas for mom, you can peruse my other Mother’s Day DIY projects HERE.