DIY Valentine's Day Card Ideas From Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart's Darcy Miller Shares DIY Valentine's Day Crafts
As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.
"Valentine's Day is my holiday," Darcy Miller, celebrations expert and editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings, exclaims with glee. The dedicated DIY-er and mom of three spends much of the year gathering up her pink, red, and gold supplies so she can get her girls crafting as early as possible. "So much [of the holiday] revolves around family, friends, and love, and crafting! A lot of the valentines I do are a nice combination of crafting, DIY, and buying, so they work for everyone."
This year, Darcy got creative with some personalized rubber stamps. She found a company that took her sketches of her girls and transferred them onto stamps that could be used on a variety of projects. "I like making rubber stamps and my kids too. But parents shouldn't feel the pressure to do the same just for this holiday. Many of these ideas are applicable to birthdays and stationery too."
And while Darcy does prefer the homemade to the store bought when it comes to Valentine's Day cards, she knows that everyone doesn't have the time to punch, cut, and glue their way to valentine perfection. "If you buy a valentine, just write a sweet note, or if you're a busy mom and don't have time to be punching, don't feel bad," she says. "Just as long as [the kids] write their names and their friends' names on it themselves, you're good!" Read on for some sweet DIY gifts cards you and your kids can send with love to family and friends this year.
Punched-Out Cards
For cards, Darcy always turns to Paper Source for the wide variety of shapes and colors. This Valentine's Day, she went for a red and gold theme, selecting note cards in those colors. Add a Martha Stewart Crafts Punch ($9, originally $10), and you're good to go.
"I like punching through the window, and then sliding a card in that you can't see from the outside," Darcy says. Baby envelopes, used on several of the cards pictured here, help create an impactful presentation.
"I'm a big rubber stamp fan," Darcy confesses. Stampworx in NYC is her go-to shop, but you can find a local printer that can do the same thing. "You can email them your artwork, and then they make them into stamps. You can do it with your kids' artwork. Again, it is something you can put on a box, lunchbag, favor box, make postcards, whatever. I had a rubber stamp made of my drawing of the kids on a bicycle. "
Heart Paper Card
If you want to go the heart route but don't have the time to cut out hearts for everyone in your kid's class, you're in luck. Paper Source has precut hearts that can be easily decorated for the occasion.
For these valentines, Darcy played with her heart punch and placed the photo behind it. "You can use rubber stamps on them. They come in lots of colors — pale pink or peach. You can punch holes on two sides and string them as garland; you can use them as gift cards. The are so many possibilities."
Rubber-Stamp Box
"The thing about these is that they're just a couple of simple things — a box, some string, and a rubber stamp — coming together to make a great gift," Darcy says. The boxes are from a Martha Stewart kit, and the twine is from Martha as well. "You can fill them with treats, and the supplies can be reused — just don't say Valentine's Day on the stamps."
Rubber Stamp Valentine's Day Card
Once you get into stamp making, you can use the stamps for just about anything. For these valentines, Darcy made one that looked like a label. She stamped it on a card to turn it into a postcard. Add the new Love stamp to it (the new stamp was designed to honor the ancient art of paper cutting), and it all coordinates.
