Hand-painted Stationery

This project would be fun to do with your child, side by side.   It uses brushes and watercolors. You can even use the pan sets that your kids might have around the house. 

Materials:
Watercolors--in tubes or pans.
Heavy-weight paper--at least cardstock
Old plastic shower curtain or something to protect the table
Containers for water
Large plastic lids or watercolor palette

Procedure

Cover the table with the plastic, fill the water containers, and lay out the paper.

First, dampen the paper.  Expect some curling and buckling.  Don't worry about it right now. 
Add just enough water to your paint to make it easy to push around.  Below, I am covering
the entire sheet with a background of yellow.  In the areas where you plan to put actual words,
you'll want to keep the paper light, and the patterns to a minimum. 

Next, I decide to add a top border. Right now, the paper doesn't look like much, but as
the late Helen Van Wyk used to say, does a bowl of cake batter look like the cake?
Do not succumb to frustration.

When lifting your brush out of the water, you will need to make use of your paper towels.

Hmmm....This border is beginning to remind me of mildew, so I'll put in some red, and work
with it.  I will not succumb.

Below, I have played around with the red, and now I'll add some blue.  Later, I decide to
paint a heart in the lower right-hand corner.  Don't be afraid to experiment. 

When you have finished, go away and let the paper dry. You may want to place it on a towel. 
The paper will now have a different texture. It reminds me of parchment.
If it is entirely too curly, an INTELLIGENT ADULT can put it inside a pillow case and go over it with a cool iron.  While it is still warm, place it on a flat surface, and put a heavy book on top.  Be sure to unplug the iron.

Results are below.  The one on top is the illustrated project.  Please comment with any questions.