Handmade Valentine Cards

Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate our romantic love for one another, and while it's a terrific thing to buy a wonderful card for each other, it's equally, if not more meaningful, to make one for your loved one.

Of course either way, a fantastic Valentine card always works, whether it's handmade or bought at the store.

But if you want to make one, here are a few samples I put together, as well as some tips on things that are used to create these unique pieces of love art.

Another side benefit is if you have children, grandchildren, or maybe a younger brother or sister, you can take time with them as Valentine's Day approaches, using it as an opportunity to spend some quality time working on making a handmade Valentine's Day card for that special person you want to express that love towards.

After all, none of us can get enough of someone letting us know how much they love us and we them.

There are an infinite number of ways to create a Valentine's Day card, but most people will want to incorporate red, which represents the heart, and by extension - love. White is also popular as a complementary color.

Both of these would be best started from a thicker foundational paper, but also could be used in making little additions to the card later on.

Scissors are almost assuredly a must, unless there is a different idea swimming around in your head where you may choose to use three-dimensional objects to design the Valentine card.

As with anything handmade, Valentine cards can be as simple or complex as you wish, depending on how you want the card to look, and probably whether it's your project or one you're doing with children.

With this first Valentine's Day card sample, we're looking at a simple design.

Even though the look is simple, there are quite a few details associated with it. For example, the little round dots, tiny hearts, and the x and o of course. You also have some glitter and marker work to finish off the look, which is done using construction paper as a foundation.

Personally, I have always loved pop up cards of any type, and making one yourself isn't too difficult, as you can see below with the accordion-like hearts.

Here we have a white backdrop with the red lettering and pink and red cards. It's a good contrast with the card above to show how the different backgrounds work and look.

Here's a really funny Valentine card which definitely expresses the period of time we live in. And when you consider how much those who love their iPhones feel about them, I guess this is a positive message to the recipient.

As for the design, it's very simple and elegant, showing how you can make a great card with the message being the centerpiece, rather than an intricate design..

The next couple of Valentine cards will showcase a little more intricate and elaborate design for those who love to put together more detailed creations.

Most will wonder about the figure of the little girl, assuming that it couldn't have been handmade. You would be right. Right in that it wasn't designed by a person at home. What it is is a stamp, which is a great tool to use when wanting to up your handmade game to offer a more quality look.

Did you notice how the use of glitter all around the card helps to bring it all together?

Other elements like the flowers can be acquired at most craft outlets, as can the ribbon and other accessories.

Although this wasn't as appealing to me, the Valentine card below is very unique, and can generate some ideas to get you thinking outside the box.

For me, I know why it isn't as appealing. It's simply the color choices used. I think for Valentine's Day you almost have to have a lot of red or pink, as the cards above do, as a foundation for the rest.

Still, the design is cute and compelling, and the little "love bugs" message is great, as is the ribbon with the rose in the middle with the hanging heart.

As you can see from this brief look at homemade Valentine cards, there is something for everyone as far as what type of Valentine card you want to create.

The materials needed can range from the usual little crafty items we may use with our children as we engage in projects, to more intricate materials like the stamp above. There are also tools like punches and other specialty items to create various effects like creating edging with curves, etc.

Either way, it's a labor of love for the one you love, and that's always worth the effort and the resultant joy from the person receiving the personal gift on a special day set aside to express your love and appreciation for them.