Valentine gift card

The very first valentine card, according to myth, was sent in the year 270 A.D. by a Roman priest named Valentine on the eve of his execution. His note of thanks, signed "from your Valentine," went to his jailer's blind daughter, who had brought him food. The oldest known greeting card of any type still in existence is a valentine from 1400, and it is displayed at the British Museum in London.

Back then, people crafted elaborate cards made of ribbon and lace. By the time Valentines Day cards became popular in the Americas in the 1800s, machine-made cards had replaced handmade ones. Today, more Valentine's Day cards are purchased than any other type of greeting card, except Christmas cards.

Make your valentine stand out from the crowd this year by crafting a card yourself. All of the projects in this collection are easy and fun to make, and the extra effort shows the recipient that you care as much as St. Valentine did.

FUNNY BUNNY

An adorable bunny card is sure to elicit "oohs" and "ahhs" from its recipient. Cut two sheets of paper, one slightly larger than the other. Cut a scallop edge on larger outside sheet. Make the pop-up piece by cutting two slits, about 3 inches long and 2 inches apart, in the center of the inside sheet of paper. Glue the two pieces of paper together, avoiding the pop-up piece and the area underneath; fold in half. Pull the pop-up piece out from the fold. Cut a bunny shape from white paper in a size that will fit over the pop-up piece; fold in half. Cut a nose, whiskers, teeth, and inner ears from coordinating paper. Glue the facial features, including store-bought wiggle eyes, to the bunny, and then glue the whole face to the pop-up piece. Add a message using alphabet stickers.

FLORAL BOUQUET

Glue together two sheets of paper in contrasting colors, making the outside sheet slightly smaller than the inside sheet to create a border. Fold in half. On the front, glue a rickrack border, velvet flowers, rickrack sterns, and a vase shape cut from vellum. Add a message using alphabet stickers. To make the closure, cut a 1-inch circle from card stock and another from vellum. Glue them together and then to the card, with the vellum side on top. Use a grommet tool, available at crafts stores, to poke an eyelet hole in the closure's center and to set a grommet in place. Wrap one end of a 6-inch piece of thin elastic cording under a second grommet, then set it in place on the back of the card, securing the cord underneath the grommet. Wind the loose end of the cording around the front closure.

ON THE DOT

Fold any size sheet of pink card stock in hall to create a card. Use a large hole punch to cut circles from a different color of card stock; glue them to the card. Sew through the circles to hold them in place, Handstitch a button to the center of each circle, using a heart button in one row. On either side of the heart button, place "I" and "U" stickers to add a special message of love.

HOLE IN ONE

Glue two pieces of pretty art paper together and then fold them into an upright card. Glue complementary ribbons and bows to the top and bottom edges. Form a heart shape on the card using small flower grommets, available at crafts stores. Mark the center of each grommet onto the card with a pencil. Use a grommet tool to poke the eyelet holes and to set each grommet in place. Add your message to the front of the card with a black pen.

INCREDIBLY EDIBLE

Wrap up just one treat for a teacher or a whole batch to share with the entire class. Keep the project really simple by purchasing large heart-shaped iced cookies, or you can bake your own. Place each cookie in a clear cellophane bag. Gather the top, trim with pinking shears, and tie the bag shut with a pretty ribbon. Use inexpensive white office labels as gift tags.

Decorate them with art markers and scalloped scissors. Write a greeting with a black marker. Stick a label to the front of each gift bag.

SOFT TOUCH

Delicate fabrics, such as boiled wool or soft felt, make this card a delight to hold. Cut a rectangle from art paper and another of the same size from red fabric; stack them with the paper on top. Place a long ribbon lengthwise between the two pieces, leaving about 6 inches extra on both sides to tie the card shut. Sew the paper and fabric together, being certain to sew over the ribbon between them. Attach a safety pin, such as the pink diaper pin shown above, to the front of the card. Add a message with letter beads, available at crafts stores.