Coloring Book Greeting Card

What child wouldn't love to get an "interactive" greeting card for a holiday or for their birthday? Well, here it is! A greeting card with four pages of graphics that they can color! And why stop at four pages? As long as you have a long reach stapler (although with a bit of effort a regular stapler will work just as well) and a bit of imagination, this project can be turned into a coloring book with many pages!

The Thanksgiving card pictured uses one piece of half fold card stock and one sheet of regular inkjet paper printed with outlined graphics on both sides. Programs like PrintMaster and Print Artist both allow you to print graphics in outline. A simple project that is sure to delight any child!

MATERIALS

One sheet of half fold greeting card stock

One sheet of regular inkjet paper

Long reach stapler (available in most office supply stores) or a regular stapler

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Open a blank half fold greeting card in vertical orientation in your graphics program.

2) Design the front and inside of the card with graphics and text as desired.

3) Save the file.

4) Open another half fold greeting card in vertical orientation. This is the one you will use for the outlined graphics.

5) If you are using PrintMaster, click on the graphics button. Set the picture type to CGM (these are the only graphics in this program that will print in outline). Select the graphic you want on the first page of the coloring book. If you are using Print Artist, select any graphic and place it on the page. Then select that graphic and click on Object on the menu bar and then select Color Effects. A new window will open with a scroll list of color options. First try black and white. If there is more black in the graphic than you would like, then try using white instead of black and white. Each time you make a color selection in Print Artist, the result will be previewed on your document.

6) Add text if you like and be sure to set the color to none or white and the outline of the letters to hairline black.

7) Repeat this process for the two inside sections of the card and for the back as well.

8) Save the file.

9) Print both sides of the card part on the greeting card stock.

10) Print both sides of the coloring book portion on the regular paper.

11) Place the card part beneath the coloring book page and fold in half.

12) Staple in the center – top and bottom - using a long reach stapler. If you do not have one, you can use a regular stapler by “rolling” one half of the card so that it fits in the stapler and reaches the centerfold. Make sure you staple from the outside so that the prongs of the staples are on the inside of the card.

That’s all there is too it! A customized coloring book for your favorite child!

Coloring Book Greeting Card Instructions

For a print friendly version, click on this link.