Texas Bluebonnet Card

I can't name most state flowers off the top of my head (and if you can, I'm really impressed), but I do know that the state flower of Texas is the bluebonnet. As it turns out, there are actually five types of bluebonnets and as of 1971 all of them are the state flower! Trevor and I worked together to design a simple card inspired by Texas' state flower(s).

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Bluebonnet Card

Materials:

• blue cardstock
• paper trimmer
• watercolor paper
• paint (blue, green, purple, white)
• foam brush
• glue

Steps:

Cut the blue cardstock to make card bases. We made ours A2, which means the finished card is 4.25" x 5.5" but you can make your cards whatever size you want. Remember to make the base twice as big as the finished card in one direction (either length or width, depending on whether you want the fold on the top or the side). Fold the bases and set them aside.

Cut the watercolor paper into pieces that are slightly smaller than the card bases in both directions. These will be the card fronts. We cut ours to 4" x 5.25", which gave us an eighth of an inch mat on all sides. Moisten the watercolor paper with the foam brush, then add streaks of blue and brush until you have sky blue backgrounds you like. Wash the brush and let the backgrounds dry completely. 

Use the foam brush to make a green stem.

Press the corner of the brush to the paper near the stem, then lift. Rotate the paper and repeat four times to get a five-sided leaf. Add two more leaves. 

Make green lines to connect the stem to the leaves. Dip the handle of the brush in blue paint, then use it to stamp circles on either side of the stem above the leaves.

Dip the side of the handle in white paint and press it to each blue circle to complete the individual flowers. 

When the paint is dry, glue the card front to the base.

Add your messages inside and your cards are ready to send! For extra fun, tuck a packet of bluebonnet seeds in the cards for your recipients to plant.