Handmade Valentines

Buy blank cards or make them out of card stock; then use these ideas to create your own one-of-a-kind valentines. Each card has its own clever inside sentiment, but you can write your own--or draw on tradition and quote a love poem or song.

1. Trace your card onto the back of a piece of scrapbook paper. Cut inside (not around) the line you drew using decorative scissors. This will ensure that the decorative paper is slightly smaller than the card and will be framed nicely by it.

2. Center the decorative paper on the front of the card and glue it in place.

3. Lightly draw letters onto the card by hand, or use a ruler if you feel more comfortable. We spelled out LOVE, but you can draw a heart or spell out other words, like KISS, TRUE LOVE, XOXO (hugs and kisses) or BE MINE.

4. Use hot glue to attach the pearl beads (all the same or various sizes and shapes, like ours) to the card.

5. Write something sweet inside, like "You're as rare and lovely as a pearl, Valentine!"

1. Trim the edge of a card with scallop scissors.

2. Use a tiny hole punch to punch a hole in the middle of each scallop, creating a lacy effect.

3. Cut a heart out of a lace paper doily or use heart-shaped doilies.

4. Glue the lacy paper heart onto the card with a glue stick (just a bit here and there will hold it--too much will flatten or tear the delicate paper).

5. Add a little color if you like with a scrap of ribbon tied in a bow.

This card designed by Wanda Thorpe.

1. This is a very simple card to make. Trace or draw a phone receiver on paper, or print one off your computer from various clip art sources. Either print directly onto the card, or print on paper, trim and glue that to the card.

2. Draw hearts coming out of the phone, or use stickers or stamps.

3. Inside, tell your valentine something silly and clever ("You had me at hello, Valentine!") or something sweet and sassy ("Redeem this phone card for unlimited minutes, Valentine!").

1. Cut a piece of vellum paper with deckle scissors and glue the center only to the front of a card (don't glue down the edges). Make the vellum as large or as small as you wish.

2. Cut a heart out of a sheet of double-stick tape (or use the pre-cut shapes). Attach the heart to the center of the vellum and peel off the backing.

3. Place the card in a shallow tray or paper plate to catch excess beads, and sprinkle the surface with beads of your choice. Shake the extra beads off and save them. Repeat this step or fill in any blank spaces by placing beads directly onto them. Note: Use can also use glitter, or cut a heart out of glitter paper for a very less-mess version.

4. Write something inside like, "You make my life sparkle, Valentine!"

1. Draw or trace a heart onto the front of a card lightly using a pencil.

2. Glue buttons on the card one by one using a hot glue gun or thin glue dots.* Place larger buttons first and make sure you have a variety of sizes, including especially small buttons to fill in the tiny spaces. Use white buttons on a colored card or use red or pink buttons on a white card.

*Note: Liquid glues aren't a good choice here because most of them make the paper ripple. If you lay down a large piece of double-sided tape, every piece of lint, paper scraps, dust and debris will stick to it in between the buttons.

3. Inside, write, "You're as cute as a button, Valentine!"