There’s something especially romantic about a handmade, vintage-style Valentine’s Day gift. Crafting a gift shows that time and thought were invested. Romantically reminiscent of days gone by, vintage-style gifts can be crafted by people of all artistic skill levels. Here are three simple ideas for making beautiful, handmade vintage Valentine’s Day crafts.
Decorate a tree with love.
During other holidays, people take the time to string trees with lights and ornaments. Surprise the love of your life by decorating a barren winter tree with white lights and paper hearts. This project is incredibly simple. All you need are leftover Christmas lights, cardstock, a hole punch, some ribbon and of course, a tree. First, string the tree with lights. Then, just cut out paper hearts using heavy card stock. Make a hole near the top of the heart and tie it onto the tree’s bare winter branches with red or white ribbon. This works well without the lights, too, if you want to keep it simple. The whole project, lights included, costs less than $15 if you don’t already have the materials on hand.
Make a vintage-style card.
You can find lots of examples of vintage style cards online for inspiration. It’s easy to make your own using card stock and found objects. All the project requires is the cardstock, glue and found objects. Look around the house for items like lace, buttons, dried or artificial flowers, or romantic images. If you don’t have these items on hand, check out your local arts and crafts store. Before collaging the items onto the card, print the text using your favorite font or leave a handwritten message using a calligraphy pen. This project can be done for less than $10.
Make a lace adorned heart shaped box.
This project is easy. Craft stores sell heart shaped cardboard boxes. It’s easy to cover these paper boxes in fabric using fabric glue. Trace the shape of your heart on the fabric and cut. Leaving the cardboard edges can create a rustic look. Next, just add decorations to the top. Adding simple lace is always a beautiful touch, either as an accent, or to cover the entire layer of fabric. Be creative. Use ribbons or found objects to make it one of a kind. Put a piece of parchment paper inside the bottom and fill your heart shaped box with cookies, brownies or chocolates. This project ends up costing between $10 and $20, depending on the materials and the sweets you choose.
More from Angela Woods:
Host a Dessert Swap with Friends
Disconnect to Reconnect this Holiday
Haiku: Cold Wind is a Fire