Making and crafts
Make a greeting card
A folded card with a picture on the front and a short message inside, made for someone you both know.
Who might enjoy it: People who like writing to friends, sending cards on birthdays or keeping in touch with the people they care about. Good for someone who enjoys making something for another person.
- Setup
- About 5 minutes
- Activity
- 15–30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Mess
- Little mess
- Where
- At a table, seated-friendly
- Help
- Someone nearby
Materials: 5 everyday things, listed below
What you need
- A sheet of thick paper or card, folded in half
- Pictures cut from old cards, magazines or seed packets
- A glue stick
- A thick felt-tip pen or marker
- An envelope
No need to buy anything special
- No card? Fold a sheet of printer paper twice to make a smaller, sturdier card.
- No pictures? Press a leaf flat, draw a simple shape, or use a stamp or sticker.
What to do
- Talk together about who the card is for, such as a grandchild, a neighbor or an old friend.
- Lay out four or five pictures and ask which one suits that person.
- Glue the chosen picture to the front of the folded card.
- Open the card and ask what they would like to say. A few words are plenty.
- Write the message, or let them write it if they prefer.
- Ask whether they would like to sign it, add a mark, or have you sign for both of you.
- Put the card in the envelope and agree together when to send or deliver it.
It is okay to stop or change it
It is fine to stop with just a picture on the front. Keep the card in a safe place and finish the message another day, or send it as it is.
Make it easier or different
- Make it easier
- Glue the picture on before you start, so the only choice is what to say or who to send it to.
- For low vision
- Use bright card, one large picture, and a thick black marker so letters stand out clearly.
- With children
- A child writes out the message while the older adult decides the words and chooses the picture.
- For a group
- Make one large card together for a shared friend or staff member, with each person adding a picture or a word.
- Without words
- Offer two finished messages written on slips of paper and let them point to the one they like.
Safety
- If you cut pictures, keep the scissors with the helper.
- A glue stick is less messy than liquid glue; check for skin sensitivity first.
- Do not ask anyone to write if it is tiring or upsetting. Dictating the message counts fully.
These are practical suggestions, not medical advice. You know the person best.
A greeting card is small, quick to make, and goes out into the world to someone real. Choosing who it is for gives the activity a purpose, and the person who receives it often replies, which can start a new conversation.