DIY Distress Crayon Thank You Cards

You wanna get a little “artsy” today? If that opening question intimidated you a little because you don’t consider yourself remotely “artsy” then these DIY thank you cards is your project. Really! If you are “artsy” maybe this tutorial will introduce you to a fairly new product: Distress Crayons.

This was a fun project to work on. I whipped up several cards in one sitting, by mixing colors and just playing with these crayons.

Supplies needed to make your own DIY thank you cards:

• Tim Holtz Distress Crayons
• Lightweight Watercolor Pad
• Thank You Embossing Folder
• Crayons 96 ct (just the white crayon for this project)
• Flat Brush Set: #2, 4, 6, 8 (or any paint brush will do)
• A2 Sized Card Bases
• Cup of Water

Trim your watercolor paper to fit the “Thank You” embossing folder.

Insert the watercolor paper textured side up.

Following the manufacturer directions for your machine, run the folder and paper though your machine to emboss it.

Leave the watercolor paper in the folder. Open the folder- take care to keep the paper lined up (still on top of the words).

Rub a white crayon over the raised letters. Leaving it in the folder will create a hard surface for the crayon to adhere to. Make sure to completely cover all of the letters.

I went over the letters several times, from all angles.

Remove the paper from the embossing folder.

Choose the colors of Distress Crayons that you like. “Scribble” them around the embossed letters.

This step is going to literally look like crap. Trust me here- it will finish nicely!

Using a paint brush and water, begin to blend the crayon pigments. You could also use a cotton swab!

Try and “squish” the color up into the letters. The white crayon will resist the color, and the closer you get the pigment to the white resist will make it stand out.

I loved mixing colors. They blend beautifully into each other.

If you want to add more pigment, you can “scribble” right onto the project- and blend it again. The crayons will react to water even after it has dried.

Continue until you get a look that you like. Using a clean brush, go over the white (resist) letters to clean them up a little.

Trim the watercolor paper to fit a card base, with a coordinating color.

Experiment with color mixtures and combinations.

You are going to feel like a modern-day Picasso!

I loved that this messy looking artsy project was actually no mess!

The Distress Crayons give you a fun yet controlled watercolor look without the mess. No need to rinse brushes or rinse off a pallet. It is all contained and very clean.

Plus: fun DIY thank you cards as an end result!

I highly recommend making your own DIY thank you cards. A project little kids would be amazed by as well as adult kids.

Shaunte

Shaunte is a 30-something, chocolate-loving, SAHM from Utah. She has been scrapbooking since 1997, the dreaded era of photos cropped with deco scissors. Since then, her work has evolved into a clean, linear, photo-focused style. Her favorite subjects to scrap are her husband and five kids (never a lack for subject material there).