7 Valentine’s Day cards to make

Showcase your creative abilities this Valentine’s Day and surprise your loved ones with a special handmade Valentine’s card.

With lots of artist supplies to assist with your crafting, The Pen Company is on hand to inspire with these Valentine’s Day card ideas. Your secret crushes won’t know what’s hit them.

The History of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day as we know may largely be a marketing-led holiday, but this wasn’t always the case.

You might have already heard of St Valentine, the patron saint of the day. However, the origin of the saint is shrouded in mystery. Some believe he performed illegal marriages between lovers in third-century Rome, while another story claims he helped Christians escape harsh Roman prisons.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14^th to commemorate St Valentine’s death or burial, but the month of February has long been associated with love and romance. Some claim that Valentine’s Day is an attempt by the Christian church to ‘Christianise’ the Pagan celebration of Lupercalia.

The Lupercalia festival celebrated fertility, particularly dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, and the Roman founder Romulus and Remus.

Later, in the Middle Ages, parts of Europe believed the middle of February was the start of the birds’ mating season, adding to the idea that the day is connected to romance. However, many believe it was Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous poem, The Parlement of Foules, that helped popularize the connection between Valentine’s Day and love.

As the centuries went by and more people began sending Valentine’s Day declarations of love in the form of cards and poems, the holiday evolved drastically into what we recognise it as today.

Why we do send Valentine’s Day cards?

According to one legend, St Valentine actually sent the first Valentine’s Day card to himself when he fell in love with a young woman while imprisoned. It is alleged he wrote a letter signed ‘From Your Valentine’, an expression we still use in cards today.

Many years later, people were still penning their admirations and sending them to their beaus. However, Valentine’s Day cards haven’t always been associated with romantic connections – some historians have suggested that the cards stem from the German tradition of friendship cards.

The introduction of the penny post made sending such cards more affordable and accessible for all, increasing their popularity. This was further fueled by progress in the printing industry, and eventually, card giant Hallmark cashed in on the holiday too – Valentine’s Day cards quickly became the biggest seller after Christmas.

How to make a Valentine’s Day card

A homemade Valentine’s Day card is a unique way to tell your favourite person (or people) that you are thinking of them on this day of romance.

Go for full-on classic romance or subtle and understated with these easy DIY Valentine cards.

Heart Shaker Card

See confetti hearts flutter with a handmade heart shaker Valentine’s Day card. Use a mini heart puncher to create the confetti and acetate to make the see-through window on the front of the card. Top tip – mix up the colours of the hearts and go loved ones favourite colours and shades.

3-D Heart Card

This 3-D heart Valentine’s Day card uses pretty ‘Valentine-y’ paper for a unique design. Cut out the heart shapes and sew them together before gluing them to the front of your card. Not a fan of pink? This card is easily customisable for your aesthetic of choice.

Button Heart Photo Card

Got a photo of you and your special someone that you absolutely love? Make a copy of it, cut it out in the shape of a heart and stick it to the front of a piece of folded card. Jazz up the Valentine’s Day card with a selection of colourful buttons (we recommend red or pink) around the border of the image.

Words and Vines Valentine’s Cards

Use Valentine’s Day as a way to brush up on your calligraphy and watercolour skills with this words and vines card. The tutorial explains how to bring some linguistic flair to your love letterings, and you can alter the words, colours, and shape to your desire as well.

Heart Fingerprint Tree Card

This heart fingerprint tree card is a lovely way to get the kids involved with your handmade Valentine’s cards. Stylish and simple, using everyday craft materials, a black marker, and coloured ink pads, it’s a fun moment for the kids to get messy while teaching them about the holiday.

3-D Tissue Paper Heart Card

Printed tissue paper is the main feature of this 3-D heart card, forming a textured and colourful design. You’re bound to have fun scrunching and gluing the heart in place, and the messaging can be personalised using your lettering style of choice too.

String Heart Card

Use colourful yarn and have fun with threading when making this string heart Valentine’s Day card. Another craft project for the kids to get involved with, the end result is pretty and easily repeated so you can send out a message of love to all your special persons.

Tap into your creative talents and show yourself some love this Valentine’s Day – The Pen Company is on hand for all your artist pens and supplies to make your DIY Valentine’s Day cards shine.