Earn and Return Cards for Kids!

This is a strange thing to share since it's been another whole month since my last blog post! 

But, I came across Earn & Return cards in a teaching supply magazine and thought: hey, those are totally DIY-able!  (Many things in those magazines are totally DIY-able).  The catalog had them priced around 13-cents EACH plus shipping and handling.  Yikes, that's expensive!  So, I headed to my favorite computer program and did a DIY version. 

These are the same size (2x3 inches) and you can print 4 of them on one 4x6 photo for less than 20-cents.  That's about five-cents each.  Less, if you catch the great photo deals at Walgreens (and you have a need to print 100 photos at one time!).  Bonus: photo paper is thicker, sturdier, and more durable than card stock!

The one down side is not being able to print directly on the back side.  The back side is where you write the goal to achieve, the begin date, the completed date, and the treat earned.  My solution is to print it on good ol' computer paper and glue it on!  Problem solved.  I'm sure there are address labels that would work, too, but that will just increase your cost!  Sure, it's more work than ordering them, but that's why it's called Do It Yourself, right? 

Don't you think these make such a cute little keepsake?  I am seeing all kinds of possibilities for these around the house.  Next time I go to Hobby Lobby, I have to get a ready-to-finish "treasure chest" and start filling it with cheap-o toys. 

UPDATE: depending on the cost of color printing on card stock at your favorite Office Supply store, you could print on both sides of your paper and then only laminate the front sides for added durability.  Something to think about!