Crafty Connections This Holiday

Handmade cards to match a handmade gift — because that’s what Rocky products are, handmade in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. We know times are unpredictable and maybe you’re spending more time indoors. That doesn’t mean you can’t connect with friends and family in a fun, virtual way while getting your craft on. Call all your besties or get your loved ones together from afar over your favourite online platform and get crafty. Here’s our guide to making potato stamp (remember those?) holiday cards with your friends, virtually.

Looking for handmade, natural gifts? We’ve got you covered.

The Rocky Mountain Soap Company marketing team got together virtually to test this tried and true potato method themselves!

How to Connect

You probably have your video platform of choice nailed by now, but in case you’re looking for options, here are a few:

ZOOM We bet you’ve heard of Zoom by now. The free version has a 40-minute limit and lets you host up to 100 people on.

SKYPE Skype has been connecting people by video over distances for a long time now. It’s free and has no time limits, and can host up to 50 people on one call.

GOOGLE HANGOUTS If you have a gmail account, you can use Google Hangouts to video chat. 25 people can hop on a video call at a time, but you’ll only be able to see 10 friendly faces at once.

FACEBOOK On Facebook video chats you can only see up to six people at a time, but others can join and listen, so it’s a solid option for small gatherings.

Get crafty

There are so many different ways to get creative with your holiday card making. If you want to keep it simple, here’s how to make a DIY potato stamp card.

What you’ll need

• One potato
• Firm paper for the card
• Craft paint
• Knife to cut potato
• Paintbrush

The How-To

• Cut your potato in half.
• Draw your design onto the potato.
• Cut around the design, leaving your image raised. This is the stamp!
• Dab your potato into paint or paint with brush and stamp onto your card.

You can get crafty with all sorts of embellishments like glitter, or markers. No potatoes on hand? Get creative with a rubber eraser. Or even your thumbprint!

Spin a yarn

Not into potato carvings? Go retro with yarn or embroider thread.

You will need:

• Yarn
• Large needle
• Beads (optional)
• Firm paper for the card
• Pencil and eraser to draw your shape

The How-To

• Draw the outline of whatever shape you want — a star, a tree, you do you.
• Take your yarn needle and poke holes along the line
• Erase the outline with your eraser
• Thread the yarn through your needle and tie a knot in the end
• Start threading through the holes of your shape
• When it’s full and you’re out of yarn, tie it off in the back
• You can glue a second piece of paper over the pack side to cover the stringy back part, if you like. Ta da! You’re done.

These crafts are just an idea to get your creative juices flowing. The real joy comes from connecting with your friends and family while doing a fun craft together. And how fun will it be when your loved ones get the (potato) fruits of your labour in the mail that you made together?

Are you getting crafty from home this holiday season?