PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Everyone knows the importance of connecting with loved ones, especially now that we’ve collectively spent a year in quarantine and needed to find creative ways to connect from a distance. Drawing inspiration from the works of Gary Hutton and Tom Bonauro in Encoded Holidays, these “confetti shaker cards” will utilize craft, creativity, and the USPS to send some love to friends and family!

INSTRUCTIONS

• Designate one piece of paper as the card. Fold in half. 
• Designate one piece of paper for the heart. Fold in half and draw a “D” with a pointed bottom (think about the shape of a heart) against the fold. Cut around the shape and unfold – you should be left with a cutout of a heart.
• Prepare confetti: cut strips of colorful paper and/or tissue paper into shreds roughly the size of a grain of rice. Feel free to experiment and cut different shapes and sizes!
  TIP: place your scraps on top of each other and cut at the same time to make the process easier.
• Grab your heart cutout and clear plastic. 
• Apply glue around the shape of the heart about half an inch from the edge 
• Apply the clear plastic on top and smooth it out.
  NOTE: Be cautious with the hot glue.
• Place confetti at the center of the heart.
• Apply glue around the shape of the heart again and stick the card on top, press down. Add extra glue to edges to secure the card. 
• Once dry, test out your confetti shaker card and watch your confetti move around!

Creative prompts for more:

• Consider color when selecting materials: 
  • Are you choosing your favorite colors or your loved one’s favorite colors? 
  • Can you tell a story with your colors, such as using yellow and orange to communicate the warmth of summer? 
• Think about choosing colors to reflect how you feel (i.e. yellow for happy, blue for sad, etc.). 
  • How does color theory affect which colors work best together (i.e. complementary colors like purple and yellow commands attention)?

RELATED RESOURCES

• Don’t have an envelope? Learn how to make your own DIY envelope!
• USPS honors Bay Area artist Ruth Asawa with a stamp collection featuring her work.
• Check out Yours Truly, an exhibition focused on the power of writing from FOR-SITE’s @Large: Ai Wei Wei on Alcatraz in 2014-2015.

CONNECT SOCIALLY AND LEARN MORE

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