Mommy Made Card for a Dr. Seuss Birthday The Party

It's so unfortunate that we lack the time - as in previous century's like we have seen on the show Downton Abbey and in this post - to write, draw, and make handmade gifts for our family and friends. We often have the kids make the necessary cards for all the events in our lives, cousins birthdays, friends baptisms, and Dr. Seuss themed Twins Birthday parties: for thing one and thing two! For Father's Day a few years ago we made the kids handprints into shapes with Dad Messages. These pieces turned out so great we made them into art for the bedroom.

So for the twins birthday party I wanted to do something fun. I recently attended a baby shower and handmade the card for that event. So my inspiration struck across these many events. For the boys I purchased the classic book the Giving Tree. I decorated the book inscription in a fanciful way. How often have you seen a book inscription that evidently took quite a bit of time to complete. I have time. Not much, but I can scrape together an hour in the evening to put a handmade touch that I enjoy doing. And I hope the gift recipients enjoy as much as I do.

For the twin boys birthday card I sketched at home my younger sons hands into the thing one and thing two shapes. I outlined the faces for the two things and also there chest monikers. Then I used colored pencil to color in the blue hair and red shirts. This is the beginning of coloring in. Notice on the final piece the colors are much deeper. I colored in a second time to cover the line marks and get a richer color.

Mommy Made Card for a Dr. Seuss Birthday The Party, a photo by areyousureaboutthatblog on Flickr.

Here is the finished interior. The color is rich but light. The picture was taken on my car dashboard in full sunlight, so a softer interior light would've done this card more justice. 

Mommy Made Card for a Dr. Seuss Birthday The Party, a photo by areyousureaboutthatblog on Flickr.

For the card cover we chose a whimsical writing and the Inscription is a play on words from the classic Dr. Seuss book "Oh the Places You'll Go."  I know I could've given the boys this book as a part of their gift to really complete the theme.

Handmade First Birthday Card Cover:

"Today IS your 1st Birthday!!!

You're off and away...

Oh the places you'll Go,

Oh the Places you'll play!!"

Mommy Made Card for a Dr. Seuss Birthday The Party, a photo by areyousureaboutthatblog on Flickr.

Here's "Thing Two" handprints that hang in our bedroom from my younger son, which is the art PINsinspiration for the birthday card we made.

Mommy Made Card for a Dr. Seuss Birthday The Party, a photo by areyousureaboutthatblog on Flickr.

Also here hanging above our bed is the complete set of kids hand and foot prints (and how we feel about making it)... my baby girls feet prints, which we tried to make into butterfly wings however her cooperation was lacking at 18 months old. And lastly my older sons lobster hand and foot print.

The total time to make the card took about one hour. But most importantly it was something I enjoyed doing and making. So it's partially a gift for me too, since I enjoyed the process.








Make Mistakes. Breathe. Reflect. and Laugh.Out.Loud!

Mommy made Childrens Book Inscription for a First Birthday gift

I love making handmade gifts for family and friends. I especially love making things for little kids because you often can get a glimpse of their genuine appreciation of the gift. Their innocence, their simplicity, their truth - because if they don't like you, you'll know! Same goes for the gift! My go to birthday gift is books. For the last baby shower I attended I gave baby to be a "library starter set." For my little twin cousins first birthday I chose a the classic children's book "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. The rest of the Handmade Gift is here, as the handmade card.

Mommy made Childrens Book Inscription for a First Birthday gift

I'll be honest, when I first read "The Giving Tree" I didn't appreciate it. I felt so empty inside after I read it. Perhaps like most people who initially read this book, on the surface level we think "that poor tree, she gave everything of herself to that little boy." But I'm thinking like a mom. As I've evolved I've come to realize the try generosity of the tree. It doesn't hold back in any respect. It gives every bit of itself. How romantic the idea of providing what the boy needs during every phase of his life. When the boy needed a playmate, the tree was there. When the boy needed sustenance, the trees apples were there. When the boy needed shade, the trees leaves were there... And on, and on.

Can you imagine giving completely of yourself as a mother during every phase and changing need of your child's lives? Initially I'd like to think I'm that mom. Always providing every need, fulfilling any request, everything (every demand of a child frankly), but in reality I'm not that mom.

Now while I work actively to be a good mom, always giving, always providing, I don't truly give everything of myself (and neither do you). We CAN'T as mothers give absolutely everything of ourselves because frankly there would be nothing left! Not for ourselves or for our kids. We've all heard that we Mom's need to take care of ourselves first, because if moms not well, nobody's happy.

Mommy made Children's Book Inscription for a First Birthday gift, a photo by areyousureaboutthatblog on Flickr.
And so is my assumption of the true meaning of "The Giving Tree." True limitless giving, without holding back, with no cost, can you imagine how much we could solve with his type of giving.

Mommy made Children's Book Inscription for a First Birthday gift, a photo by areyousureaboutthatblog on Flickr.

My inscription to my cousins book was inspired by a few photos I found for hand sketched names.

"Happy 1st Birthday:

May you always know
The Joy if Giving...
Gifts that never cost,
That don't limit,
And which will be there for
Every phase of your long lives."

I hope this inscription captures my love for these kids in their young lives.

I added some decorative elements. Not pictured - each child's names first letter matches the Font of the Cover Page - double lined. But the rest of their name is in cursive, a little fanciful that way.

I also sketched in long vines at the start an ends of words and added leaves with mini branches in between. All the letter "i" are triple dotted, just to be fanciful.

I hope they enjoy reading their book for years to come.

As a separate blog post is the remainder of our gift holder a handmade card.

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Make mistakes - breathe, reflect, and Laugh. Out. Loud!!