Show and Tell or Souvenir
Looking for a fun show-and-tell or souvenir for your Family Reunion this year? Try a playing card deck with one card for each family member. Super fast and simple, this project encourages family members to seek out relatives at the Family Reunion and preserves the family bonds that are built at the event.
Why Playing Cards?
Here’s why. Every year, I send a deck of playing card ornaments to each branch of the family to be decorated and hung on the tree. The bond-building potential of these cards really hit me hard this year when, nine months after Christmas, a photo was posted on Facebook by my daughter-in-law. “Aww! Look what I found under Robyn’s pillow. I asked her what it was doing there and she said she likes to keep it there because it makes her feel close to Lindsey,” she wrote.
Whether you take your cards to the Family Reunion or use them as a reminder of the good times you had when you were there, this “2013 Family Reunion” playing card set, template 110716, (under the name Lynda Angelastro) is versatile, easy to create and is designed to help form and strengthen relationships, much like the holiday ornament cards. Tape these cards to the fridge, spread them out on the coffee table, or make a display with them. They are a fast and easy way to get kids talking about their extended family.
Step1: Choose & Input Your Information
Select the text information for the bottom of the card. Will it be the marriage partner and the birth date or will it be mom's and dad’s names? In this template, I chose to use the mom's and dad’s names for cousins and the “married” and “born” information on older generations. This text box could also be a quote, a favorite activity or something you want to remember from the Reunion. Once your photos and information are in place, change the names and the “relationship” text boxes on the banner.
Step2: Choose Your Colors
To keep family members organized, I chose a different color frame for each generation. Keep yours the same or use one color for each family unit. Here’s how to find more colors. Open the “art collections” tab. Enter “color” in the search box and it will bring up the “Color Pickers” collection. Use this for a faster, easier way to pick the pastel colors you want to use on your cards.
Step3: Put a Name on the Back
Not as easy as it sounds. Choose the name of the grand- or great grandparents from which you are all descended or use the Reunion place as your name. Add a date if you want, push the publish button, and you are done.
Only One Life to Live
Live intentionally. Plan projects, like this one, that enhance family lives and relationships. It’s simple and easy-to-do, but it really works. Start your “2013 Family Reunion” playing card deck tonight!
