Local students create and sell hand-made Christmas cards for charity and church

Created from careful strokes of color only a child could make, Joseph and Mary stand side by side next to a tiny brown manger.

To their right, a star -- rivaling the size of the Bethlehem stable under which the couple stands -- shines in bright yellow.

The student who drew the manger scene did so knowing it was destined to help others as part of a holiday card-making project at Trinity Lutheran School.

About a month ago, students at Trinity began working on hand-made Christmas cards for a fund-raiser.

The money raised will go toward the Christmas Toybox charity and also Trinity's building campaign, which is collecting money for a new multipurpose building.

The best 10 cards, originally crafted from construction paper, markers and colored pencils, were reprinted and went on sale this week at various locations in Cape Girardeau. Some of the cards were pieced together, using the front drawn by one student and the inside drawn by another.

Seventh-grader Lucy Gage painstakingly colored a nativity-scene ornament onto her card. It was one of the 10 selected for sale.

"I think it's cool how something from everybody was put together for this," said Gage, 12.

Fourteen-year-old Julie Mothershead decorated her card with a simple poinsettia and the word "joy."

"The project was nice because the kids really got to be involved and also share their opinions of Christianity," said Mothershead.

The cards all feature Christian-based holiday themes with Bible verses or familiar quotations.

"It was good because we also got to understand what it's like to try to raise money," said Mothershead.

The idea to make the cards as a fund-raiser came from parent volunteer Trish Stahley.

"I'm always trying to come up with new ideas to raise money," Stahley said. "Christmas is our big deal and it's helping raise money for charity. The kids have enjoyed it so much we plan to do it every year."

In fact, Stahley said, some of the students may make cards for Easter as well.

The Christmas cards became available this week and can be purchased at several locations, including Zigfield's, Sunny Hill Gardens, Trinity Lutheran Church and School, and Bloom. The cost is $10 for a box of 10 cards.

cmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128