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Holiday Favorites, Holidays · January 27, 2022

Melt Their Hearts With Homemade Holiday Cards

Stay eco-friendly and on a budget this holiday season starting with these homemade holiday cards that reflect the love that is put into making them

Holiday cards can be pretty generic when bought in a 12pk from the dollar store, so why not spice it up this year with unique designs, personalized messages, and handmade envelopes?

While this may seem like a daunting task for an already hectic gift-giving season, these cards take almost no time to make and are much more fun than the traffic you’ll deal with just to get identical ones in a set.

Want to make your cards match? No problem!

Coming up with ideas on what to draw out is probably the hardest part of making these cards. If you find free-hand drawing to be a challenge, try using references or taking inspiration from existing card designs. Make several of the same design or use the same art style to create a matching set for the whole family!

Now, are you up for the challenge?
Most, if not all, of the cards I make use watercolors with detailing in black pen ink. I recommend painting the watercolor shapes first and then going in for the detail with your pen. This creates a unique look while preventing the ink from smearing.

Looking for inspiration? Use the list below to generate ideas and look up graphics online if a stencil or reference is necessary!

Taking inspiration from any of the cards pictured is always welcome, too!

  • Evergreen tree
  • Gingerbread man
  • Snowflake(s)
  • Ornament(s)
  • Holly and ivy
  • Snowman
  • Present(s)
  • Penguin
  • Elves

Alright, now time for the fun part—making the cards!

The first step for those making watercolored cards is to make sure you get the right paper to hold the pigment. Thicker paper holds better and won’t get soggy from the watercolor as printer paper will.

Trust me—it’s worth the extra dollar or two to invest in watercolor paper to avoid this issue.

I recommend drawing out your design very lightly with a pencil to get a general idea of what you want the card to look like. This can be used as a sort of stencil to keep the proportions looking right.

It’s important to let all of the paper dry if you intend to add more than one layer of watercolor or if you intend to write in pen ink on top. The water base can let the ink bleed, so waiting is worth it. Once the paper is dry, make a crease so it folds to hide a personal message inside! You can also experiment with vertical and horizontal folds as needed and you’re almost done!

While you’re planning your gift shopping this year, check out my gift guide featuring my favorite low-waste home and body essentials!

Intimidated by homemade envelopes? Do what I do!

I’ve found huge rolls of recycled wrapping paper that can be used to wrap gifts in a more sustainable way, and they can be re-recycled! They also double as minimalistic envelope paper, because let’s face it, the colorful paper isn’t worth the waste.

Take an envelope that fits your card and unfold it so that it lays flat on the paper you intend on folding into the new envelope. Trace the outline and then cut it out and fold it into a new envelope before sealing it with a glue stick. Once you’ve traced and made one envelope, you can make as many as you’d like.

Envelopes can seem intimidating at first, but they don’t have to be overcomplicated. If you want to try a freehand design, check out one of many YouTube tutorials that provide a variety of envelope shapes for unique card designs.


An unbelievable amount of wrapping paper isn’t recyclable for its vanity and too many presents come smothered in plastic to stay conscious during the holiday season.

I challenge you to follow along with my zero-waste posts to stay waste-conscious this season!
I’ll be covering cards, food, gifts, and more during the Zero Waste Holiday Series from now until New Year’s! I’m so excited to share the changes I’m making this year and I hope it encourages you to make a change yourself!

Going completely zero-waste overnight is nearly impossible but the little changes do add up!
Don’t be afraid to be an imperfect zero-waster, you’re part of the majority, and we’ve got to remember that all the little changes add up to something big over time.

Posted By: byshannonamos@gmail.com · In: Holiday Favorites, Holidays

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There’s nothing better than completely transform There’s nothing better than completely transforming a space with a new garden…

This shady spot in the yard misses much of the direct sun in the surrounding beds and the grass has gotten choked out by English Ivy and roots from nearby shade trees. It’s also an awkward spot to mow when those few patches of grass grow too tall. So I opted for a shade garden instead.

The only problem with adding a new garden bed in is that it can get pricey, and quick. Factoring in the time, materials, and exhaustion—it doesn’t always seem worth it until you see the bigger picture coming together.

But I had a vision for this space. An area full of plants that would thrive in these conditions and eliminate the need for future tending. No more mowing and even taller, prettier plants to view in the meantime.

So that’s what I set out to do. It’s not done yet by any means, as one day the entire area should fill itself in, and maybe then we’ll mulch between the plants. But for now, I’m perfectly fine with watching and waiting for that day to come.
I know, I know. It’s been a while since I last g I know, I know. It’s been a while since I last gave y’all any update about what’s to come with TUO! #theuntamedoptimist

Truth is, life got a little overwhelming this past month. I’m finishing up my degree, taking my business into new territories and making mistakes to learn from along the way, and then there’s the blog. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not stoked to have missed posting for y’all this month, but I did need time to focus on other important things in my life.

That being said, I’ll be tying up some loose ends this week and you can expect to see big changes coming to the blog before Mother’s Day! 🙌

I don’t want to spoil too much for now but keep an eye out because you won’t want to miss this! 😁
If you’ve kept up with my stories recently, you If you’ve kept up with my stories recently, you got to see this gem come to life after sitting for a little over 24 hours 😍

My wild violet syrup recipe is coming very soon to the blog, along with a refresher recipe showing you how to use it for an all natural pink lemonade!

Be the first to get it delivered to your inbox by signing up for the TUO newsletter 📥
to be fair, their puddle made an 8ft wave into the to be fair, their puddle made an 8ft wave into the oncoming lane

edit: why’s it look like I’m sniffin the text 🫣
eternally yearning for when my garden looks like t eternally yearning for when my garden looks like this again 🌱

but as usual, we’re taking it one day at a time around here and getting everything in line for the garden to thrive with more sunny days 🙌
if you found a boulder the size of a yoga mat, wou if you found a boulder the size of a yoga mat, would you take advantage of the opportunity? I know I couldn’t pass it up 😊
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten in th It’s been a hot minute since I’ve gotten in the garden to take pics of all our current blooms, so enjoy this pic from much earlier in the season, before the daffodils all bloomed 🌼🐝

If you haven’t yet, get outside today and soak up some rays while doing something you love. Whether you’re taking a lake trip, playing fetch, or just sunbathing with a good book, there’s never a bad time to take in your environment for all it has to offer 🌅
your friendly reminder that even food bloggers eat your friendly reminder that even food bloggers eat boxed taquitos… we just go outside to take pictures with the flowers when we do 😉

I popped a couple in the air fryer and got to making some guac before stirring in my shredded lettuce for a quick avocado salad ✔️

The blue corn chips made it feel extra fancy 😎 but I’d also make room for some rice next time as this wasn’t enough to keep me full while working in the garden.
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