DIY Valentine's Day cards: 3 simple designs using photos

With a selection of handmade 'love' themed Valentine's Day cards to choose from, each design centres around a framed photo of your choice. This personalised touch will certainly show that special someone how much you care this Valentine's!

You can also use these three tutorials as inspiration to create your own version of these cards. These versatile designs would make a great birthday card for a friend or family, or whatever takes your fancy! Check out our online shop for a beautiful selection of craft papers and stamps to use in your projects!

Handmade Valentine's Day cards: step-by-step tutorials

by Clare Brown. 

Love

Love this

Smile

'Love' card tutorial 

You will need

• Black, white and red card 
• Say Cheese III kit by Simple Stories
• Stitched Edge die set by Lawn Fawn
• Die-cutting machine
• Red adhesive gems 
• Photo gloss paper
• Stitched Square & Stitched Rectangle die sets by Lawn Fawn
• Clear plastic beads
• Small heart punch
• Alphabet Bigz die by Sizzix 
• Acetate

Method 

1. Create a 14.5cm white card blank with the fold at the top. Trim a 13.5cm square of red card and mount on a 14cm square of black card. Fix to the card front. 
2. Cut a 13cm square of text pattern paper from Say Cheese III kit. Die-cut a Stitched Edge along the bottom and fix to the red card on the card front. 
3. Draw and cut out a camera shape and fix at an angle on the card front. 
4. Using the Stitched Rectangle die, die-cut two rectangles from white card. Attach one on top of the camera at an angle. 
5. Using a Stitched Square die, create an aperture near the top of the other rectangle. Trim a piece of acetate slightly larger than the aperture and fix behind it. Fix foam tape around the acetate. Pour a small number of plastic beads inside the aperture. Punch twenty-two small hearts from red card and place inside the aperture. 
6. Print a photo onto gloss photo paper and once dry trim so it is slightly larger than the aperture. Add foam tape around the sides of the rectangle and below the aperture and attach together to create your shaker. Layer on top of the first stitched rectangle at a slight angle. Make sure you do not leave any gaps between the foam tape, or the beads will fall out. 
7. Die-cut 'LOVE' from light blue paper from the kit using Bigz dies. Attach to the bottom of the rectangle. Fix a large dotted heart and black heart next to the lettering. Add a big sentiment to the bottom right corner of the card front. 
8. Finish by adding three red gems to the top left and bottom right of the card front. 

Love the idea of making your own cards? Making Cards & Papercraft magazine is for you, packed with seasonal projects, step-by-step tutorials, techniques to boost your skills, inspiration, expert tips and a beautiful set of craft papers with every issue!

'Love this' card tutorial 

You will need

• Black, white and red card 
• Say Cheese III kit by Simple Stories
• Stitched Edge die set by Lawn Fawn
• Die-cutting machine
• Red adhesive gems 
• Photo gloss paper
• Stitched Square and Stitched Rectangle die set by Lawn Fawn
• Clear plastic beads
• small heart punch 
• Acetate 

Method 

1. Create a 14.5cm white card. Trim a 13cm square of yellow star paper and mount on red card measuring 13.5cm and black card measuring 14cm square. Attach to the card front. 
2. Die-cut a Stitched Square three times from white card. Fix one square to the card front at an angle.
3. Create apertures in one remaining square using the rectangle and square stitched dies. 
4. Print a photograph onto gloss photo paper and trim slightly larger than your square aperture. Layer on the last square with foam pads using the square aperture as a guide for placement. 
5. Cut two pieces of black and white dotted paper slightly larger than the rectangle apertures as a guide. Add the light blue heart sticker in the middle of the vertical aperture. 
6. Trim acetate slightly larger than the vertical aperture. Fix to the back of the aperture. Add two layers foam tape around the vertical aperture, leaving no gaps. Add foam pads to the remaining parts of the apertures. Add clear plastic beads inside the heart teal sticker then place the aperture card on top to create your shaker.
7. Punch two small hearts from red card and place inside each of the small square apertures using foam pads. 
8. Add the sentiment inside the horizontal aperture with foam pads. Finish with a red gem in each corner of the first stitched square. 

'Smile' card tutorial 

You will need

• Black, white and red card 
• Say Cheese III kit by Simple Stories
• Stitched Edge die set by Lawn Fawn
• Die-cutting machine
• Red adhesive gems 
• Photo gloss paper
• Flexible magnets by Stix 2

Method

1. Create a 14.5cm square white card. Trim text paper to 13cm square and mount on white card measuring 13.5cm square followed by black card measuring 14cm square. 
2. Cut red card to 7.5 x 12.5cm. Die-cut a left long side with the Stitched Edges. Fix the yellow 'smile' sticker along the bottom of the short side. Attach the panel to the left of the card front. 
3. Cut two film strips from white card, one with an aperture. Print a black and white photo onto gloss paper. Once dry, trim the photo slightly larger than the aperture, then sandwich between the two film strips. Place two magnets together, then remove one of the backing papers and fix to the reverse side of the die-cut, towards the right-hand side. Repeat fixing the magnets towards the left-hand side. Attach to the top of the card front- the photo magnet can now be taken off the card and perhaps placed on a fridge! 
4. Add a sentiment to the right of the die-cuts. Add three red gems to the top left and bottom right of the card front to finish. 

Enjoyed this card tutorial? Check out our extensive list of greeting card types and get stuck into more projects!