Easy DIY Mini Valentine’s Day Cards and A Free Printable
How to use scrapbook paper to make quick and easy mini Valentine’s Day cards that anyone would love to receive!
One aisle that I always love to peruse, when I go to any craft store, is the scrapbook paper aisle.
There are so many cute patterns available. And they’re so inexpensive that I love dreaming up ways to use them.
So the other day, I grabbed up several pages of each of the Valentine’s Day patterns that they had on display. I thought they would make really cute mini Valentine’s cards.
Let me show you how easy it is to make some for yourself. This is a project that the kiddos can certainly participate in. In fact, they would probably love to make some for their own friends.
When I started this little DIY project, I had no idea it would be a meaningful and somewhat poignant project for me. So let me share a little story with you before we get started. Don’t worry, it has a happy ending. 😀
There once was a little girl who struggled at home. She struggled to gain her parents’ attention and to feel loved. Her parents were doing the best that they could, but they had issues of their own so the little girl mostly felt left out and very lonely.
All of that would change every February 14th though, when the annual Day of Love would roll around.
That was the day when the little girl could count on being told she was loved over and over – even if it was only on a paper Valentine’s Day card.
There was much anticipation leading up to that special day every year.
And there were many preparations. Old shoe boxes had to be gathered and decorated. Candy had to be bought. And best of all, the perfect Valentine’s with the perfect message of love had to be found.
And then that special day would finally arrive!
The little girl would watch all day to see who would stuff messages of love into her specially decorated box that was placed just-so on her desk at school. And she would smile each and every time someone paused to leave her a card.
Finally, near the end of the school day, the teacher would pour the punch and pass out the cupcakes so that everyone could celebrate loving one another.
And the little girl would smile and feel loved with every Valentine that she opened. It was a very special day for her.
You probably guessed that the little girl in the story is me. Valentine’s Day was one of my favorite days of the year when I was growing up. I had forgotten a lot of those feelings until I was making these cute little mini Valentines.
I was transported right back to a happy part of my childhood.
These super easy to make little Valentine’s Day cards can be made for your kiddos to take to school or for you to hand out yourself.
Here are the supplies that you’ll need:
- Assorted sheets of scrapbook paper, one sheet of 12 x 12 paper will yield 4 envelope templates
- Glue dots or double-sided tape
- 1 sheet of white, 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock paper per page of message printouts (link to printout is below)
- Scissors
- Envelope template (provided below)
Step-by-step directions
These Valentine’s Day cards couldn’t be easier to make.
STEP 1. On a plain piece of printer paper, print and cut out the envelope template. Click HERE to download the template.
(The images below are shown smaller than the actual size.)
Step 2. On a piece of scrapbook paper, trace around the edges of the template and cut it out.
The dotted lines are fold lines. You can mark them if you choose to, but basically, you’re just going to be folding a flap in at each set of corners.
STEP 4. Lay one of the mini messages on top of the wrong side of the scrapbook paper envelope cutout.
I’ve drawn a dotted line along the fold lines and have numbered each flap to show the order in which the flaps should be folded.
STEP 5. Add one glue dot in the middle of flap #4 (on the wrong side of the scrapbook paper).
Add a second glue dot underneath the message, if you want to hold it in place.
Then proceed to fold each flap in, in the order they are numbered. Press down when folding flap #4 to “seal” the envelope.
OPTIONAL: You can even tuck a few small pieces of candy inside to sweeten the deal. (You might need to add a piece of tape to the back of the Valentine if you add any candy.)
And there you have it! Adorable little envelopes filled with love for that special someone.
Oh – and that little girl? She grew up and was blessed with a husband who shows his love for her a thousand ways every day.
She was blessed too with children and stepchildren and grandchildren and friends to lavish her pent-up love on. And they in return have filled her heart beyond measure.
So while you’re celebrating this season of love, just remember – you never know whose heart you may be touching.
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22: 37 – 40
Loved this idea and went to download and print. All I got was a square box. Can you give directions on how to get them. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas.
Hi Linda. I’m sorry you’re having problems. Both of the links to the printouts are working ok for me. When you click where it says HERE, it should take you straight to a screen that has an image of the printout on it. There should be an arrow in the upper right hand corner that you click on to download the printable to your computer. Would you mind trying it one more time? If it still doesn’t work for you, I’d be glad to email the images directly to you.
Sooo cute! I love heart day:)
Thanks for sharing such a sweet idea! Happy Valentine’s Day.♥♫
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Keep up the great writing.
Oddly enough as I buy Valentine’s cards for our grans this year I, too, am lost in the memories of elementary school and a decorated box with a slit in the top for dropping in the small cards. Remembering selecting the perfect card for each classmate from the pile of cute cards on the dining room table and carefully printing my name on the back. Remembering the fear of what if nobody gives me a card! I was comparing it to the way our grandchildren celebrate and how simple our childhood was by contrast. My parents were not demonstrative, mom didn’t decorate the house or bake a cake for the occasion. There were no balloons or wreath on the door and dad didn’t bring home flowers nor did they go out for dinner. The only family thing was a candy jar full of tiny conversation hearts. So different now. Have a happy Valentine’s Day and I’m glad your Sweetheart dreams all came true.
Things are definitely different today! In many ways, our kids and grandkids don’t know what they’re missing. Have V Day to you!