Cute and Crafty: Easy Homemade Valentine's Day Cards

Remember when Valentine's Day was fun? You and your friends decorated your desks with a paper sack and had a party with punch, cookies and lots of cute, homemade Valentine's Day cards. This year, bring back the sweet side of Valentine's Day with your own crafty creations.

Begin with sturdy cardstock and patterns scrapbook paper in variety of colors. Experiment with different shapes and folds for your cards. To make an even heart-shaped card: fold a piece of cardstock in half, trace half a heart shape around the fold and cut it out. Use scalloped scissors to add fun, flashy edges to your shapes.

Try adding peek-a-boo cut-outs and windows. Use a razor blade or Exacto knife for a cleaner cut. First, fold a piece of cardstock in half. On the front half, cut out a series of squares, circles, hearts or stars. Fold the card back in place and trace the window shapes onto the inside of the card. Open up and add buttons or stickers so they can be viewed through the windows.

Go vintage by layering Victorian scrap paper cut-outs over paper doilies and textured paper. Give your homemade Valentine's Day card dimension by gluing buttons or squares of corrugated cardboard behind the Victorian cut-outs to make them pop up off the card. You can also add pressed, dried flowers sealed in cold laminate or clear tape.

Add texture to your Valentine's card with cloth elements. Layer scraps of fabric and lace on top of a cardstock base. Consider cutting Valentine's themed shapes out of the cloth pieces, like an "X" and an "O." Glue on a variety of buttons in varying shades of red and pink in a polka-dot pattern, or use them to create a heart shape on the front. Seal the card with a ribbon tie by punching two holes along the open edge, threading a short length of ribbon through, and tying a bow on the front of the Valentine's Day card.

Give your Valentine something sweet by including a small treat in your homemade card. Glue a Hershey's kiss over a kissing lips design, or fun-size bags of Sweethearts inside. Use the names of your Valentine's favorite mini candy bars in your homemade card's message. For example, glue a small 100 Grand candy bar inside the card and write a message like, "Baby, your smile makes me feel like 100 Grand." Think what messages you can use with Butterfingers, Snickers, Almond Joy, Krackel or Sugar Daddy.