The tradition of exchanging cards with loved ones on St. Valentine’s Day dates back to 18th Century England, where it was customary to show your affection with handwritten sentiments – often accompanied by sweet confections or flowers. Show your loved ones how much you care by surprising them with a handmade Valentine’s Day card this year. With just a few basic supplies (scissors, paper, pen and glue) you can create a one-of-a-kind heartfelt creation that your loved ones will cherish.
Valentines traditionally feature images of hearts, cupids and arrows, usually within a pink or red color scheme – however, in the world of DIY, personalizing is key. If your special someone prefers the color green, consider using green paper for the card.
The first step is to create the card base – this can be as simple as folding any sheet of paper in half, and then trimming it down to the desired finished size. The next step is to embellish the card – focus on the outside first and then move to the inside of the card. You can get as creative as you’d like with this step, just be sure to personalize it for your recipient. For the more advanced DIY crafters, try adding glitter, buttons, ribbon, washi tape, markers, punches and layered embellishments to add your own personal style to your cards.
Often the most difficult component of the handmade Valentine lies with the sentiment, not with the creation or decoration of the card. It can be overwhelming to try to express your feelings to the ones you care most about. Sometimes it is helpful to use someone else’s words to express yourself – look to your favorite song lyrics (It Had To Be You), favorite lines of movie dialogue (You Complete Me), poetry or quotes to get you started.
If you are looking for inspiration, typing “Handmade Valentines” into your favorite Internet search engine will provide endless project ideas, tutorial videos and instructions.
For supplies to make your own handmade creations, visit the new Craft Envy store, located at 22935 Soledad Canyon Road in the center of the Plaza Del Rio shopping center, near Wing Stop.