Do you like to make your own Valentine’s Day cards? If you start early enough you can have them all done well before “the big day”. When I have time I like to make Valentine’s day cards with my kids. These mice themed cards were a big hit one year:
And my boys loved handing out these superhero lollipops which they got to decorate themselves.
This year, since my kids love to play with my stencils, stamps, and inks, I’m going to teach them some paper crafting basics. By simply combining two stencils you can easily create monochromatic images. It’s a fun way to make a lot of Valentines!
Supplies:
- Stencils
- Stamping Ink
- Craft or makeup sponge
- Cardstock
Step one: Place the stencil of the desired image on the paper. When working with kids I like to use a little tape to hold it in place. This first stencil will be the focal image for your card, so choose something large like a heart, animal, or other figure. I used a giraffe and a rocket stencil for these examples.
Step two: Lightly ink the sponge and rub the ink over the stencil. It creates a soft watercolor like effect. Any ink will work, but distress inks are a little easier to smudge around. If you don’t have a sponging tool like mine you can use a cotton ball to create the same effect, or cut a piece of felt into a small rectangle.
Step three: Place the patterned stencil over the first stencil. Ink the sponge again and apply more of the same color ink to the stencils. I’m using the same color ink both times, but applying more pressure the second time to layer the color and make it deeper and darker.
All that’s left to do is stamp or stick on a message, and your handmade Valentine is done!
You’ll need a Valentine’s day box to carry these in! Here’s one idea. You can find all my Valentine’s day projects listed here.
