Quick Ideas for Last Minute Valentine's Cards

With Valentine's Day only a couple of days away there's still time to make a quick card. Perfect for if you've just not got round to making one yet or have just plucked up the courage to send one!

These cards are quick and simple and use paper ephemera to make them extra special. You could use any kind of papers you have lying around too, just follow the same basic design.

The basics you'll need

• blank card and envelope
• pencil
• glue
• greetings
• papers

The ideas...

Use maps of local, special or significant places to create two hearts to stick on the front of the card.

These are from maps of places near where I live. Make a cardboard template of the hearts to make sure they're the same size. Use a black pen to add a 'stitching' effect around the edges.


Use stamps from a country that's special to your loved one; it could be where they're from; where you met; where you went for a special holiday. Cut a heart out of card and stick the stamps on it. Trim around the edges and stick the heart to the card. I've also used this to make two small hearts to put on one card like the one with the maps above.

Use old music sheets of 'your song' to make a heart or hearts to stick to the front of the card.

When you've stuck your hearts to the card front you just need to add a greeting. And as you've made it yourself you can make it extra personal! You could add one by writing it on, printing a greeting and sticking it on, stamping onto the card or use a pre-made greeting from a craft shop.

Quick and Simple Valentine Cupcake Toppers

In the run up to Halloween last year I wrote a tutorial showing how to make some cupcake toppers for the occasion which proved to be the most viewed post of the year. So with another holiday coming up I thought it would be good to use the same method with different shapes (unless of course bats and mummies are romantic for you!).

Here then are some quick and simple Valentine's Day cupcake toppers. They're fun to play around with trying different colours and patterns too; try using old books or music sheets of your loved one's favourites.

Valentine Cupcake Toppers

 

You will need:

• various papers
• glue (I prefer PVA)
• cocktail sticks
• scissors
• pencil
• ruler
• black pen

These are the shapes I've used. If you want you could print this image and use them as templates or draw your own.

Step one

Draw the shape/s you want onto the reverse of one of the papers you've chosen. You will need to draw 2 shapes for each topper you want to make.

Step two

Use your scissors to cut out the shapes. Place the pairs of shapes 'wrong side' to 'wrong side' and make sure they match up. If one is a little bigger or a different shape just cut around them to make sure they match.

If you're making the lips or roses use a black pen to draw the details on now before you make the topper. Follow the lines in this picture.

Step three

Place one shape down flat with the 'wrong side' facing upwards. Spread a thin layer of glue all over the shape.

Step four

Place a cocktail stick in the centre of the shape (about half way up) with the remainder of the stick coming straight down.

Step 5

Take the other shape in the pair and spread a layer of glue over the 'wrong side'.

Step 6

Line up the two shapes glued side to glued side and press them together. (This is where a wet glue like PVA is useful as you can move the shapes around a little to line them up).

And there you have it, a finished cupcake topper! Repeat the steps for as many toppers as you want to make.