If you've never made a Doodle Card, you are in for a treat with these fun Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas! Make a DIY card for dad on Father's Day, or to give for a birthday, special occasion, or just for fun.
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- Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas for Father's Day!
- Practice cute doodles for cards
- You could make:
- Doodles on the doodles!
- Fill the spaces with doodle drawings
- Paper for your watercolor doodle card
- Dare to doodle
- Watercolor wash fun!
- Let's put this craft in reverse!!
- You can make all types of doodle cards, like a:
- Father’s day gift ideas
- Enjoy!
- Supplies for Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas for Father’s Day
- Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas for Father's Day & More!
Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas for Father's Day!
This watercolor doodle card for Father’s Day was a quick and fun craft that my granddaughter and I made this weekend. Dad (or the father figures in your life) will love it!
The whole family or kids of all ages would enjoy making this craft, it's easy to doodle and paint.
If you’re a doodler like I am, it’s time to let your stars shine! 🙂 All those doodles that you make in the margins of your paper in school and church and meetings will be put to full use!
Practice cute doodles for cards
Whether you are a doodler or if you aren’t, it may be fun just to practice doodling a little bit. Doesn’t that sound funny? To practice doodling?
Grab a piece of paper and a pen or a pencil and just start making some doodle patterns anywhere on the paper. Your paper doodle practice can become doodle charts to help you remember ideas you like.
You could make:
- shapes that are next to each other or overlapping (squares, triangles, circles)
- nature looking items like leaves and flowers
- little objects that you copy like a coffee mug or a fishing lure 🙂
- animals like a cat, dog, pig or cow
- various sizes of all these things
Just keep filling the surface of your paper.
Doodles on the doodles!
Next draw little designs on top of those shapes and objects.
Fill a square or triangle in with lines or polka dots- or draw a flower on your coffee mug.
I like to use modular patterns inside the lettering and then add designs inside the patterns! This takes those basic doodles to the next level.
Fill the spaces with doodle drawings
Then fill the space in between the objects. Use lines, plaids, swirls, seashell shapes, zigzag lines and polka dots! Look around you for inspiration. Invent your own pattern shape with your own new motif!
Don’t overthink this or seek the "perfect doodle pattern", just have fun! You just leave your mistakes on the paper when you doodle.
I can’t tell you how many of my papers are edged with doodles. I make them in my Bible, the books I read, bulletins, programs, free printables for this website, sidewalks, even my hand occasionally!
FYI: I only doodle on books and papers that are mine though!! Just sayin’!
OK, let’s put these cute card doodles to use!!
Paper for your watercolor doodle card
It’s best to use watercolor paper to make this card because the watercolor wash we will do uses quite a bit of moisture, and the paper will hold up better.
Hey, if you want to follow along with me on a full length tutorial video just open it up with this link: Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas for Father's Day Full Length Tutorial Video
Cut paper to size to fit an envelope
I use a paper cutter or draw lines with a ruler and cut the paper to size with a scissors.
You can cut your paper to any card size you want if you plan to give it without an envelope or make your own envelope (learn how to make envelopes 3 ways).
I like cutting my paper down to 8.5-inches by 11-inches in size and then cutting it in half to make two pieces.
A2 envelopes for your doodle card
When these papers are folded in half as cards, they fit into a standard A2 envelope. This size envelope can usually be purchased in bulk in the craft section of stores.
It’s so handy to have them on hand when crafting. You can make all your own cards quickly and inexpensively.
Note: Slip the cut paper card you made into the envelope just to make sure it fits before finishing the card.
Dare to doodle
Take the card and make your black line doodle drawing on the front surface of your card with a permanent marker.
It is important that you use a permanent black marker for your doodle as we will be using watercolor over it and a water-based marker will smear.
I usually have a little plan for a doodle in mind and start right in drawing with my fine line black permanent marker.
But you can make a pencil drawn outline of doodle areas if you want (optional). Do remember to use an eraser after coloring over them with black permanent marker though.
This card I'm making is for Father’s Day so it is going to say “DAD” in bubble letters that are as big as possible. Watch on the video for how I make the letters.
After each letter was done it got decorated differently. One was a plaid design, one had a clamshell design, and one got tube like lines and polka dots!
Lastly the background space will get a doodle design to fill it up as well. On my card there were swirls and lines with little dots and such radiating out of the word.
Watercolor wash fun!
Next let’s have some fun making a watercolor wash over the black line doodling on our card.
A watercolor wash involves wetting the surface of the paper with clean water. Then dropping watercolor paint into the water on the card to spread.
This creates a blended full color look that is not detailed or controlled exactly. it always reminds me of a stained glass window.
What colors will you use for your watercolor wash?
Give a thought to the colors you would like to feature on your card. It's good to use contrast colors to make certain parts of the card "pop" out and catch attention.
Since I wrote the word "DAD" on the card I want those letters to be featured so I'll use warm colors (red, yellow, orange) in the lettering.
Then I will use cool colors (blue, green, purple) in the background as contrast colors. This will make the lettering stand out from the background.
You think about what you would like to do for color combos.
Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
Use clean water to wet the paper
Get some clean water in a cup. Use a paintbrush to wet the surface of your card that is doodled.
The surface of the watercolor paper should be wet but not have puddles of water.
With a wet paintbrush, load the brush with watercolor paint in a color of your choice. Touch every area of the card where you want this color. Watch it spread. Isn’t this cool?
Wash out the paintbrush and repeat this step with other colors of paint. Be sure to wash out the brush between each color.
Stop adding color when you are pleased with how the colors have spread over the card.
Note: Don’t “paint” the card, brushing over the surface a lot. Touch the brush to the wet water on the card and let the paint spread.
Experiment with the doodling and the watercolor wash. Dad will love his card.
Let's put this craft in reverse!!
It is possible to do the watercolor wash on the paper first and then do your black permanent marker doodling over the top.
In my example the watercolor wash was a rainbow of color. Let the wash dry completely.
The key to this is to make sure your watercolor wash is completely dry!! If it is still wet the paper may rip and the permanent marker may quit working. Not good.
Make the perfect pattern of permanent marker doodling over the top of the dry watercolor wash.
Note: This is a also a great way to make a sunset with a silhouette landscape at the bottom.
You can make all types of doodle cards, like a:
- birthday doodle card
- Christmas doodle card
- cute birthday doodle card
- doodle anniversary card
- doodle greeting card or note card
- thank you doodle card
You could even make several doodle cards, add envelopes, and give them as a set of cards for a gift!
Here’s the link for that full length tutorial video Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas Full Length Tutorial Video and the video for Handmade Envelopes Three Ways again.
Doodle art is such an easy way to enjoy drawing! All you need is a piece of paper, pen or pencil, and some markers or paints if you want to add some color! All you need to do is start making some doodle patterns anywhere on the paper, then draw little designs on top of those shapes and objects.
Doodling is super easy, all you need to do is have a little fun! Grab some paper and a pen or pencil and go ahead and start drawing patterns on your paper. Continue adding designs on top of those shapes until you like your final piece of art. You can even turn these doodles into homemade cards!
Father’s day gift ideas
How about making a gift for Father’s Day as well? Here are a few ideas!
- Make Lemon Berry Donuts for Dad
- Yummy Baking Powder Biscuits and Gravy for Dad
- DIY Boutonniere for Dad for Father's Day
- Beginning Wood Burning- make a project for Dad
- Make a Decorative Stepping Stone for Dad
Enjoy!
If you try this craft, let me know! Go ahead and leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo with #WelcometoNanas wherever you post.
Come join the fun at https://welcometonanas.com
Supplies for Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas for Father’s Day
- watercolor paper
- permanent black marker
- envelopes (an A2 envelope fits an 8.5-inches by 11-inches in size paper cut in half and folded for a card)
- watercolor paints and brush,
- water container
- paper towels
- copy paper (optional)
Watercolor Doodle Card Ideas for Father's Day & More!
Equipment
- water container
- Scissors
Items Required
- watercolor paper
- permanent black marker
- envelopes (an A2 envelope is one size option)
- watercolor paints and brush
- paper towels
- copy paper (optional)
- scissors
Instructions
- Whether you are a doodler or if you aren’t, it may be fun just to practice doodling a little bit.Grab a piece of paper and a pen or a pencil and just start making some doodle patterns anywhere on the paper. Next draw little designs on top of those shapes and objects.Then fill the space in between the objects. Use lines, plaids, swirls, seashell shapes, zigzag lines and polka dots! Look around you for inspiration. Invent your own pattern shape with your own new motif!
- It’s best to use watercolor paper to make this card because the watercolor wash we will do uses quite a bit of moisture, and the paper will hold up better.I use a paper cutter or draw lines with a ruler and cut the paper to size with a scissors.You can cut your paper to any card size you want if you plan to give it without an envelope or make your own envelope (here is a link to a post on How to Make Envelopes Three Ways, the link is also found below).I like cutting my paper down to 8.5-inches by 11-inches in size and then cutting it in half to make two pieces.
- Take the card and make your black line doodle drawing on the front surface of your card with a permanent marker.It is important that you use a permanent black marker for your doodle as we will be using watercolor over it and a water-based marker will smear. I usually have a little plan for a doodle in mind and start right in drawing with my fine line black permanent marker.But you can make a pencil drawn outline of doodle areas if you want (optional). Do remember to use an eraser after coloring over them with black permanent marker though.This card I'm making is for Father’s Day so it is going to say “DAD” in bubble letters that are as big as possible. Watch on the video for how I make the letters. After each letter was done it got decorated differently. One was a plaid design, one had a clamshell design, and one got tube like lines and polka dots! Lastly the background space will get a doodle design to fill it up as well. On my card there were swirls and lines with little dots and such radiating out of the word.
- Next let’s have some fun making a watercolor wash over the black line doodling on our card.A watercolor wash involves wetting the surface of the paper with clean water. Then dropping watercolor paint into the water on the card to spread. This creates a blended full color look that is not detailed or controlled exactly. it always reminds me of a stained glass window.Give a thought to the colors you would like to feature on your card. It's good to use contrast colors to make certain parts of the card "pop" out and catch attention.
- Get some clean water in a cup. Use a paintbrush to wet the surface of your card that is doodled. The surface of the watercolor paper should be wet but not have puddles of water.With a wet paintbrush, load the brush with watercolor paint in a color of your choice. Touch every area of the card where you want this color. Watch it spread. Isn’t this cool?Wash out the paintbrush and repeat this step with other colors of paint. Be sure to wash out the brush between each color.Stop adding color when you are pleased with how the colors have spread over the card.
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