For Valentine’s Days past, you once dutifully crafted numerous handcrafted cards as a trainee in school. And while you might not have classmates to impress any longer, it’s still a valued custom. When it comes time to show how much you like and value your significant other, good friend, or member of the family, a card says it perfectly, especially when it’s customized to the recipient.
We’re making it even easier for you by supplying the templates, clip-art, and heart-shaped motivation you need for a Valentine’s Day card. No matter what kind of love note you wish to produce (we’re partial to this pleated model, with a love note penned on the back), the list of products does not vary much. You’ll need card stock, scrapbook paper, and envelopes, as well as pens and pencils, scissors, a ruler, craft knife, cutting mat, tape, hole punch, and bone folder. With these products on hand, you’ll be well on your way to making a Valentine’s Day card that will really melt your cherished’s heart.
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Envelope Hearts
Hearts are perhaps among Valentine’s Day’s biggest motifs– so why not work them into your card? Here, paper is folded into the symbol of love with a caring message and sealed in floral-print envelopes– leading to a genuine experience from open to close.
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Mitten Cards
Give a helping hand to your loved one on February 14 with these simple DIY valentines. Fold a piece of patterned covering paper in two, and utilize our template to eliminate two opposing shapes. Turn the bottom inch of each “mitten” up into a contrasting cuff, then use double-sided tape to tack them down and stick the sides and bottoms of each mitten half together, wrong-sides in, leaving an opening up top. Fill with little sweets, sticker labels, or heart notes, and begin the high-fives.
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Honeycomb Pop-Up Cards
Take Valentine’s Day to a brand-new dimension with paper-honeycomb pop-up cards. Simply fold plain card stock in half, and glue on decorations like cutout petals and pipe-cleaner stems. Draw on additional information (like the eyelashes), pen a cheeky note, and adhere a honeycomb ball or fitting shape in the crease to complete your heart-swelling message.
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3-D Cards
When you have a valentine who makes your heart go pitter-patter, return the favor. These pop-up cards are fun for both kids and newbie crafters, given that they call for basic scissor skills to send balloons bobbing, flowers flowering, and lips smooching.
Cut short rips of building paper and crimp them; glue one end to the card and a shape to the other, like we did for the lips. Or attempt the step approach used for the tulip and balloon styles.
Then declare your love in 3D: Start by folding paper in half to make the card. Cut pairs of slits into folded edge, 1/4 inch apart. Open the card and press the areas in between slits forward to form steps; glue paper forms onto them.
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Garland Cards
An airplane gone after by a lovey-dovey contrail, a heart-shaped lock with skeleton secret, two little lovebirds sitting on a wire– these garland-style cards simply require ribbon, cable, or twine. Blending patterned and solid-color papers helps develop contrast and adds visual interest.
These cards need cutting along a fold, or making doubles to sandwich cable between. For heart lock, cut 2 lock bases, one lock front, and two keys. For the aircraft, cut two fuselages and 6 heart clouds.
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Accordion Cards
What much better method to communicate your love to your main squeeze than with an accordion-fold card? A fast print, cut, and crease is all it takes to make a card with a trio of hearts, a huge “LOVE,” or sweet old XOXOs.
To make one, print a design template on card stock, cut, and trace onto the paper for the folded piece. If you’re making one card, print straight on desired paper.
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Pipe-Cleaner Kiss Cards
Make cute smooches out of rough pipeline cleaners to adorn Valentine’s Day cards. Cut 2 bumps’ worth of pipe cleaner. Fold the piece in half, between the bumps. Pinch the center of one bump to form the top lip. Close the mouth by twisting the open ends together, then attach the lips to card stock with craft glue. Using a pen marker, compose a heartfelt message to your valentine.
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Illustrated Cards
A crush can be more powerful than a locomotive. It can likewise be as sweet as a hand-delivered note, or as cheerily optimistic as an upturned mail box flag. These clip-art illustrations require a couple of basic cuts and a couple of pieces of tape. The little envelope acts as a card within a card, consisting of a secret love note or unique present card.
Print the preferred illustration on card stock. For the hand, cut with scissors, making sure to snip between the thumb and index finger. For the mailbox, print the flag on red card stock, and cut out.
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Sign of Love Card
Declare your love by including our trendy clip-art to card stock and embellishing with stamps, glitter, ornamental tape, and craft punches. Don’t forget to pen a caring note on the within for more personalization!
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Concentric Hearts Card
Here’s a just classy idea: Customize our heart template with glitter and paper to make a card filled with love.
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Playing-Card Valentines
The cards envisioned here are already dressed for the celebration. Compose greetings on glassine envelopes with a no-smudge marker, or use an ink-jet printer.
Using a word-processing program, type four messages; size each to fit onto a glassine envelope, and stagger them a few inches apart on the page. Print onto a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. On the printout, center one envelope over each message. Utilizing removable tape, affix the top and bottom edges of each envelope to hard copy. Using the manual feed upon your printer, insert envelope-taped hard copy, and reprint; eliminate tape. Repeat this procedure to make additional envelopes as required. Place one playing card into each envelope, and seal with a heart sticker label.
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Puzzle Purse Card
The text, decorated with styles, is revealed as the card is opened. By folding back the panels– one at a time, in consecutive order– a romantic message is communicated either through the verses of a poem or symbolic images of love.
