Make your own Valentines
Make Your Own Valentines Using Household Items.The following project requires the use of bleach. If young children are involved with this project, you will want to substitute lemon juice for bleach. This project requires adult supervision.
Nothing says “I Love You” like a homemade valentine. And nothing’s easier than finding simple household products to help you do the job! For Valentine’s Day this year, why not tell people how much you care with something unique? Now before you stress out, back up. It’s really much easier than you think! Once you have the materials in front of you, you’ll soon have a sizeable stack of cards as loveable as the people who receive them. Use the tips below to create unique patterns and effects using materials already in your home. Download the .pdf attached to this article to follow some easy layouts.
Checklist
- Lifetime table
- Liftime chairs
- cardstock (various colors)
- cotton swabs
- glue stick
- markers of various colors
- cotton balls
- water
- paper towels (or dish towels)
- various ribbons (6 inch to 12 inch)
- hole punch (*optional)
Steps
- Secure a sturdy, clear workspace that you don’t mind messing up and is easy to clean. A Lifetime table is perfect because it cannot be stained by bleach or most other chemicals.
- Torn Paper – Tearing paper adds texture to a card and creates an interesting edge. You can make a heart-shaped card, or make a heart to put on the front of a standard square-shaped card. Just fold cardstock in half and rip the paper diagonally from the upper right hand corner of the unfolded side to the bottom left hand corner of folded side. Then starting about ¼ of the way down from the top on the folded side, carefully tear a curve up, around and down to meet the outer edge of your heart shape. You will most likely need to tear off little pieces here and there along the edges to get the exact heart shape you desire.
- Bleach – Putting bleach on cardstock will fade the area. The more bleach, the whiter the area will become. Use a cotton swab to create patterns or accents. For the bleach to take effect more quickly, use the hot air from a blow dryer about 6 inches away. Use a cotton swab with bleach on the edge of torn paper for a whimsical effect. For an extra fun look, dip an old toothbrush in bleach and run your finger over the bristles about 6 inches away from the paper to make splatters (being very careful to avoid splattering bleach into eyes).
- Chalk – You may also choose to use chalk to create your designs. Use a cotton ball or cotton swabs to smudge the chalk to create soft lines and shapes.
- Paper Towel – Dab a marker on a slightly dampened paper towel, and use the paper towel to make well-placed smudges on the card or to accent the torn edges.
- Marker – With a fine-point marker, you can make elegant lettering. An easy way to create beautiful handwriting is by choosing swirly, scripted computer fonts, printing out the message, and copying it on paper. Use the downloadable .pdf for some heartfelt messages in fun fonts.
- Ribbon – You can use various cuts of ribbon to bind the front of your card to the back along one edge (top or left side), or simply as an added decoration to a heart-shaped card. Sometimes you can buy a bag of miscellaneous ribbon at department stores for a discounted price. These are all the odd sized end-cuts, which are perfect for card making gifts and many other crafts. To make holes for binding up the card, use a hole punch to make two holes spaced a couple of inches apart (or farther if your card is quite large). If you don’t have a hole punch, put your card on carpeting and use one blade of your scissors to poke the holes through it. Twist the blade to make an even, round hole the ribbon will thread through easily. Thread the ribbon through the holes, securely tying off the ends in an attractive bow.
Tips
- You need to work with bleach in a well ventilated area because bleach fumes are not healthy to inhale for an extended length of time. Use a small container with a lid so you can cap off the fumes between applications.
- Use your Lifetime table when working with anything potentially damaging like bleach or glue. Lifetime tables are easy to clean and stain-resistant to bleach.
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