Looking for something fun to make at home? Each week we are collecting and curating resources around a topic and this week is letter writing and pop-up cards. We are focusing on making with what you have around the house. Here’s some inspiration to get you started!
Do you love receiving mail? Letter writing began around 500 BC, allowing people to talk across a long distance. It’s a great way to capture memories, tell stories, share feelings, document events, and just connect. These days we send and get lots of digital messages, like texts and emails. But there’s something special about opening an envelope and pulling out a handwritten letter or card that’s especially for you. You can send other people that warm, fuzzy feeling too!
Letters can include drawings, graphics, words, and more! Your handwriting adds a unique touch too. Writing and drawing can be good outlets for expressing emotion and being reflective. For some extra flair create a pop-up card that delightfully adds a 3D component. The art of folding and cutting — and sometimes gluing! — leads to some amazing creations. To see what’s possible with pop-ups, watch A to Z to see alphabet letter pop-ups designed by 26 different paper engineers.
Follow along with us in the video below as we craft our letters and add flair with a simple pop-up design!
To make your own letter or pop-up card, you will need:
- Paper of any kind
- A writing utensil (pencil, pen, marker, crayon)
Optional tools and materials:
- Envelope
- Stamp
- Thick paper, like construction paper or cardstock
- Scissors
- Tape or glue
- Markers
Looking for additional inspiration? Check out these ideas:
- The National Writing Project has so many resources, including family dialogue journals and a 2016 Letters to the Next President campaign.
- Dive into pop-up techniques with The Pop-Up Channel videos
- Hack your notebook has examples and guides to add electronics with paper circuitry.
- Handwritten letters document history as told by people themselves. Read some here.
We want to see your projects! After the livestream, we encourage you to post your letter or pop-up card on Twitter or Instagram. Tag us @MakerEdOrg with #MakerEdAtHome and #letterwriting #popupcards
Learning in the Making: LIVE! is an online video series designed to support educators and families with accessible hands-on learning experiences. This work is part of our focus on supporting remote learning in various environments. (To learn more, read this blog post about our work during shelter-in-place measures in 2020.)
Each week, we are hosting a live making activity on our YouTube channel and sharing related resources on our blog.
We are so excited to support hands-on learning as educators, caregivers, and young learners shift to distance learning, and we need your support! Donate today so we can keep going.
Leave a Reply