This Valentine's Day, surprise your friends, coworkers, family, and your significant other with the "look much harder than they are" homemade cards! These charming greetings are simple to make, supplies are minimal, and the designs are as flexible as your imagination will allow!
You will need:
Card stock in various solid colors and patterns (8.5" x 11 cut in half or 4"x 6")
pinking shears
scissors
white craft glue or glue stick
Valentine themed stickers
There are so many different ways to make these cards, just let your imagination lead the way. For the designs we have created, follow these easy steps.
Cut & Paste Designs
Begin with a piece of solid colored card stock, fold in half to make the card. Use pinking shears or regular scissors to cut hearts from various patterns of paper. Don't be afraid to experiment! Stripes and checkerboards look wonderful matched up with a floral or polka dot design. Find patterns with colors that compliment each other. Next, simply glue the the hearts onto the front of the card (pictured below).
Waste not want not! Notice that in the second card, we used the outer edges of the hearts used on the third and fourth cards. We cut our hearts too big, then simply trimmed around the hearts one more time to make them smaller, hence having a heart border left over to use on another card.
Borders & Patterns
As with the others, begin with a solid color for the card. For the first one (pictured below), use pinking shears to cut out a border from a patterned piece of paper to create a "frame" for your card. Use complimentary colored Valentine stickers to decorate the center. The card in the center is simply four hearts cut from different patterns of paper, then glued in a diagonal, layered on top of each other. The third design is just two rectangles cut from different patterns, one larger than the other, then glued in the center of the card.
When you are finished, it is recommended that you place your cards inside or under a heavy book, such as a cookbook or phone directory. When the glue dries, it tends to curl up the cards. Allowing them to dry under the weight of the book will flatten them as they dry.
As you can see, you don't have to be into scrapbooking or be an artist to create charming cards for any occasion. Simply let your imagination guide you. If you are convinced that you just aren't that creative to think up your own designs and patterns, look through home decor magazines to get ideas on contrasting patterns and colors.
About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the entrepreneurial mother of four children. She is the Chief Editor of FamilyCorner.com Magazine. Subscribe to her free newsletter by clicking "sign up" below
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