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Today is Sunday and I got so busy yesterday that I forgot to let you know we was resuming our Interactive Gift Guides and we still have plenty of opportunities to earn tickets in each of the Guides. To make things easier we will be sharing one Guide a day where you may or may not earn a ticket. Then on Saturday we will be sharing a craft that can be done all weekend.

In the challenges on the weekend all the crafts can be done together or you can just work on the Guide that fits your family the best. If Halloween isn’t something you celebrate skip that craft. If you only want to do Christmas that is fine because there is no, right or wrong answer in the challenge. Once you’ve finished the activities we ask you to sit down and read together for at least 10 minutes up to 30 minutes.

With October 3rd being Frugal Fun Day it is a wonderful reminder that having fun with our families doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Some of our favorite memories can come from the simplest activities, whether we’re sitting around the kitchen table, reading a good book, making crafts, playing games, or spending time together.

This weekend, we’re celebrating creativity, family, reading, and the joy of giving by making homemade holiday cards. I like this activity because you can make memories without spending a lot which is a Godsend for my family because lots of time we don’t have extra money for crafts.

When I think about frugal family fun, I think about finding ways to enjoy the time we have together without worrying about how much money we’re spending. You don’t have to take your family to an expensive attraction, purchase a new video game, or go shopping to have a wonderful weekend.

Sometimes all you need is paper, crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue, scissors, and a little imagination. You can make cards, create decorations, play board games, read a book together, or even enjoy a picnic in your backyard. The best part is that these activities can be enjoyed by children of different ages, parents, and grandparents. Everyone can participate in their own way, and everyone can create something they’re proud of.

World Card Making Day was on October 3rd and: Let’s Make I thought we could make Handmade Cards which will allow us to sit down together and make something special for the people we love. This weekend, we’re challenging families to make three holiday cards:

Halloween: Make a spooky, silly, or sweet card for someone special. You could use pumpkins, bats, ghosts, witches’ hats, or anything else that makes you smile.
Thanksgiving Faith, Family & Love: Create a card that shares what you’re thankful for. It could be a message of gratitude for a family member, a friend, or someone who has made a difference in your life.
Christmas: Make a Christmas card with Santa, snowmen, Christmas trees, angels, butterflies, or any design you choose. Add a personal message to make it extra special.

You can give your cards to family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, or someone who may need a little encouragement. Or you could keep your cards and use them as holiday decorations. Imagine bringing out the handmade cards each year and remembering the fun you had creating them together.

If you have multiple children, let each one create their own designs. Younger children can draw pictures, color, or add stickers, while older children may enjoy writing messages, cutting out shapes, or creating more detailed designs. There is no right or wrong way to make a card. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the time together.

If your family enjoys crafts, you may want to explore Craft a Greeting Card Now!: Whimsical Papercraft Activity Book by Annie Lang. It offers ideas for creating handmade greeting cards using basic papercrafting supplies, making it a fun source of inspiration for families who want to try something new.

If you don’t have many craft supplies at home, you can also create cards online. One website to try is MES Cards, where you can personalize greeting cards, add your own message, and print your finished design or share it digitally. Or you can use an online card maker for inspiration, print a design to color, or create a personalized card for someone special. It’s another way to enjoy card making while keeping your activity budget-friendly.

We’ve also included a free printable to help your family design a card of your own. Print the activity sheet and let everyone create a holiday card using their own ideas. You can decorate it with crayons, markers, colored pencils, stickers, or pieces of scrap paper you already have at home.

You don’t need expensive supplies to make something meaningful. Reusing leftover craft materials, paper from previous projects, or the back of a sheet that’s only been used on one side can make this activity even more frugal. Once your card is finished, write a message inside and decide whether you want to give it away or save it as a decoration.

My family each made a card which we will be displaying inside our home. In the cards we took the time to write a message to ourselves to read next year. Then each year from now on we will create a new card to add to our collection which will create a car train for our home.

One of the things I love about card making is that it can be enjoyed by almost everyone. Toddlers can make handprint art or scribble colorful designs with help. Young children can practice drawing, coloring, and writing their names. Older children can experiment with different layouts, lettering, and paper crafts.

Parents and grandparents can join in, too. You might even want to make cards together as a family and create a tradition you look forward to every year. For families who homeschool, card making can also become a learning activity. Children can practice writing, spelling, creativity, planning, and following instructions. They can learn about colors, shapes, patterns, and even budgeting when choosing which supplies to use.

Most importantly, children can learn that a handmade gift doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.

Our Weekend Reading and Activity Challenge

Since we’re combining our challenges this weekend, we’re giving families a chance to earn tickets by making cards and spending time reading.

Here’s how to earn all 8 tickets:

Make a Halloween card: 1 ticket
Make a Thanksgiving Faith, Family & Love card: 1 ticket
Make a Christmas card: 1 ticket
Read for 10 minutes: 1 ticket
Read for another 10 minutes: 1 ticket
Read for a final 10 minutes: 1 ticket
Complete the first weekend bonus challenge: 1 extra ticket
Complete the second weekend bonus challenge: 1 extra ticket

That’s a total of 8 tickets!

Children can choose books they enjoy, whether they’re picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, seasonal stories, or books about making crafts. Parents can help younger children read, or the family can take turns reading aloud.

The weekend bonuses are a little extra encouragement to make the most of the time together. Families can choose rewards that work for their own children, keeping the focus on fun, creativity, and reading.

Explore Our Interactive Holiday Gift Guides

As you make your cards, you can also explore our seasonal guides for more ideas and inspiration.

Interactive Halloween Gift Guide: Find Halloween-themed ideas and inspiration for the spooky season.
Thanksgiving Faith, Family & Love: Celebrate gratitude, faith, family traditions, and the people who make life special.
Interactive Christmas Gift Guide: Explore Christmas gift ideas and experiences as you plan for the holiday season.

You can use these guides to spark ideas for card designs, gifts, family activities, or ways to make the holidays more meaningful.

Save Your Cards and Make a Tradition

One of my favorite things about homemade cards is that they can become keepsakes.

You might decide to give all three cards away, or you may want to keep some of them to decorate your home. You could put them on the refrigerator, display them on a mantel, or store them safely with your seasonal decorations.

When the holidays come around again, bring them out and see how your children’s artwork and writing have changed over the years.

You may even want to date each card and write the child’s age on the back. Those little details can make the cards even more special as the years pass.

And if you make new cards every year, you’ll have a growing collection of family memories to enjoy.

Share Your Card-Making Fun

We’d love to hear what your family creates!

Are you making cards for someone special, keeping them for your own decorations, or starting a new family tradition? Which holiday card was your favorite to make?

Share your creations and tell us who you’re making them for. Your card might inspire another family to sit down, get creative, and enjoy some frugal fun together.

Our Thoughts

Frugal Fun Day is a reminder that we don’t have to spend a lot of money to make wonderful memories.

A little paper, a few craft supplies, a favorite book, and time spent together can turn an ordinary weekend into something special.

Whether you’re making Halloween cards, sharing what you’re thankful for, or creating Christmas greetings, you’re giving your family an opportunity to be creative, practice important skills, and show someone that you care.

And if you complete all three cards, read for 30 minutes, and finish both weekend bonus challenges, you can earn all 8 tickets!

We hope your family enjoys making cards, reading together, and finding ways to have fun without spending a lot.

This is the actual printable code, not just a description of what should be on it. Jotform PDF Fillable Form Free fillable PDF form maker from Jotform. Customize powerful forms for your users.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Glenda Cates
GreatfulMoments.com