Easy Heart Cards

Here is a very easy way to make Valentines using  paper and clip art from magazines or ads that come in the mail. The heart has a special country style shape, so if it does not suit you, just make your own shape by folding paper in half and cutting a half-heart shape, and using it for a pattern.  This one is designed to fit in the long business envelopes, as you see below:

I bought these envelopes at WalMart when they had a special pink office supply promotion.

This heart is made of white cardstock and a simple rose is glued on. Without much fuss, and no embellishments, it is still really pretty.

  

In the photograph above I have sketched a simple little scene of a path leading to a house surrounded by trees, with hills in the background and a clear sky,  which you can print and use to make the card like those old post cards.  This one is just done with crayons and a rose sticker is added at the lower end of the heart.

All you need is construction paper or thin scrapbook paper, or cardstock if you prefer. The clip art can be anything you have, such as stickers or pictures. The only equipment you need are scissors and white glue. Deckle edge scissors and glitter glue is optional. For children, this is very easy, since they only have about three things to put on the card. I've added stick-on diamonds and ribbon to some of these.

A long stemmed rose is included in the pattern. Just cut the entire rose on green paper, and then cut out the rose bud in another color and glue over the stem, clipping where necessary. A white card with the rose on it would look just fine. I have used glittered puff-paint by Polymer and Scribbles to outline the above card.  The template provides a small rose shape to glue inside the larger heart. This one is made with a small heart from glitter paper.

This is done with a clip-art tag and a hand made feather, which can be made just by drawing a feather shape and clipping the edges. Shade the tip and make it look like a quill pen.

Print the template, above, on cardstock or glue to cardboard. Cut out the pieces and trace around them on various types of paper, for your heart cards.  These are just one layer. The personal greeting is written on the other side. 

If you sell things from your home, this would be a very easy and quick project. Line up all your supplies and get everything in order before you begin, and it will go fairly easily. The white cardstock hearts on the left are made only with cardstock paper and stickers. Just two ingredients are simple for children and still make a lovely impression.

Take a second look at the things that come in the mail and you'll find some good clip-art. The bookmark from Country Living magazine promotion is made of good quality cardstock, has a beautiful scene of roses on it,  and is just the right size for the business envelopes I am making these cards for.

Here is what the junk mail clip-art looks like on cards. The bookmark at the top of the picture made a lovely card, tied with coordinating ribbon. 

Look at your business-reply cards inside of magazines, too. This is one from a Victoria magazine, pasted on a piece of paper made with a special craft punch that makes it look like lace around the edges.

The smaller heart shape makes perfect little tags, which can be attached to gifts or gift bags. The construction paper comes from the dollar store.

If you do not have enough envelopes, just open a business size envelope from any mail you have, or use a new one, and glue it on to cardstock. Cut it out and use it as a pattern on thin scrapbook paper, putting the white side on the outside and the print on the inside.

To make a book or letter-card, just punch holes on the straight edge of the card and thread ribbon through it. Cut out extra pages but make them slightly smaller all around.

This one has a length of silver beads to tie it and is outlined in silver glitter-glue. I've made a guest book out of this one, just for one day. You can get quite a few pages in it for one postage stamp, for writing letters.

You can also trace this shape on fabrics, cut them out and glue them on the cards with a glue-stick.  The liquid white glue does not work as well with fabric.

While I think of it, I discovered something to share: Sidewalk chalk (that odd looking piece on the edge of the chalkboard) works really well on old chalkboards. Normal chalk seems to slide and not stick on the board when it gets older and worn out, but children's  sidewalk chalk is great, and you can get it at the dollar store. It erases a lot more easily too, and  it comes in large sticks in many different colors,  or in shapes like bunnies and ducks, etc. If you are not able to refurbish the black boards with chalkboard paint, cannot get any, or do not want to spend the money, this sidewalk chalk makes them look fresh and new.

Have a look around at things you normally would throw away and you will find quite a few things you never noticed before. For example, in the picture of all the hearts, the last card on the right of the top row has a rose on it made with a green stem cut from part of a brown paper grocery bag. Part of the bag was green.  You might find a little rose on your tea box or floral stickers from your junk mail, that you could use to brighten up a card. 

Although there are high quality products widely available today for crafters, it is always good to understand how to be creative and resourceful and to use what you have on hand,  to make something beautiful for someone else.