Vintage Valentine Cards- DIY

I had a sweet lady (Hello, Ms. Holley!) ask me to show different vintage inspired Valentines that I have made through the years. I have to say- I just LOVE Valentine’s Day; it’s one of my favorite holidays! (I think I say that at every holiday. And it’s true!) For me, it’s a day specifically set aside to tell people that we love them. This is something we should remember to do every single day, but as humans, we often need reminders. When I think of all the people I want to tell that I care … well, the number gets pretty high. 

That’s why I usually have a theme for my cards, then just do variations of them. You don’t need any fancy or expensive supplies to make your own Valentines. Paper doilies are lovely and cheap; so is crepe paper. Scrapbook paper is available for $.50–$1 per sheet, and will make multiple cards, while leaving scraps for embellishments. Washi tape is a lot of fun, and comes in every color and pattern imaginable. You can find it at Hobby Lobby, but I like to look at the Dollar Tree in their stationary section. They also have stamps and stickers that might fit your theme. Speaking of themes...

 One year I went crazy with beautiful vintage photos of women. You can find these on a wonderful site called The Graphics Fairy, where the lady uploads all types of vintage ephemera that you can use for crafts. And it’s free! I printed them on card stock, cut them out, then glued them to the paper I chose as a background. The one below is just the picture trimmed with pink crepe paper that I fanned with my fingers and hot-glued around the edge. It looks like antique trim yet it costs a dollar a roll! You can even coffee or tea stain coffee filters (see second picture below) and cut the center out for a ruffled collar that will frame a picture perfectly.


This Valentine uses the crepe to make a flower, and the girl’s dress is decorated with a bit of glitter. That’s a strip of Washi tape at the  
bottom. All on a piece of pink cardstock with pinked edges.
 
You have probably realized by now that my favorite supply for crafts is simply paper. It is cheap and easy to make into an amazing array of things. One year I simply photocopied old family photos, glued them to scrap-paper hearts, add extra snippets of torn paper and some stamping.

It was fun, and afterward I looked at the table covered with forty cards all sporting some person from my family’s history.

Another year I went with a feather theme. I used scraps of paper and cut out feather shapes, then sewed a line down the center with my sewing machine to denote the quill. These I simply stapled to strips of card stock, onto which I had copied a Bible verse.

 I've done lots of Valentine's in this long, thin shape, because they also double as a bookmark! Speaking of bookmarks making great Valentines, here are some already made up by the wonderful lady at  The Graphics Fairy (link below). Print on cardstock and glue front to back, punch a hole to add a pretty ribbon, and perhaps add a touch of glitter. What nice gifts!

One year I had the idea to take wire and form hearts. I liked the fact that they could hang like an ornament. The one with the turtle was for a daughter-in-law that loves critters, the one at the top with the watch face and winged heart was for a daughter-in-law who loves steampunk. The one with the photo is of my Great-grandmother Odessa. Isn't she beautiful?

 Last year vintage bird prints were my theme. Below are a few designs I found on The Graphics Fairy and printed onto card stock. For one card, I cut out a picture and glued it onto a paper doily. A strip of Washi tape went at the bottom, along with a crepe paper flower made of two small crepe fans glued together. Some years my cards are very simple, but always have hopes to make someone feel special.


This year I have been looking at old French magazine covers from the 1920's. I love the graphics and the bold reds and blacks. 

It is a theme that will be fun to do, especially since I am enamoured of all things Parisian!I went through all my embellishments  and sorted out everything that was red, black, and white. Don't think that I am one of those people who rushes out and buys all this stuff! My boxes are filled with things passed down from my two seamstress grandma's, and Duane's crafting one. It also includes things from folks at church who no longer make things, but know that I do. I simply hang on to things until I find I need them.

And all the rest is paper goods. I have been making things from these two packs of paper for years, and still have so much to go.

Here is one of this year's cards. I wondered if the black would detract from the fact that it is meant to be a Valentine. But I love it! I am excited to make all the rest and give them out.

What about for the men in your life? While I enjoy flowery, romantic cards, I adore the really corny ones.

 My fisherman hubby will get a card with the beauty with the fishing pole, and the back will say, "You're a great catch!" The one with the bumblebee will go to a son and say, "I don't mean to bug you, But BEE my Valentine!" My all time favorite corny verse is handwritten on the back of a postcard that was passed down from an ancestor. It reads:

“The ocean’s wide
And I can’t step it.
I love you, and
I can’t hep it.”

If that’s not the true sentiment of Valentine’s Day, then I don’t know what is. So let your creative juices start flowing. For a couple of dollars you can get all the things you need to make cards to remind all those people you love how you really feel. And you can be just as corny as you like! I hope you take the time to make a Valentine for someone special this year!