Project - Quick and Easy Valentine's Gift Cards from Paper Scraps

Every time I cut a piece of scrapbooking or decorative paper, I make scraps. These paper tidbits go into a box where I can find a small piece of something whenever I need it. I keep hoping I'll use them someday, but most of the time, I collect too-small odds and ends that don't look like they'll ever amount to anything.

That's why I've decided to use them up to make something I need all year long -- gift cards. Even a two-inch square of left-over paper and a random embellishment can become a tiny note attached to a gift. In fact, since I'm likely to use materials I'll never see again, you can be sure my designs are truly one-of-a-kind.

Pull together all your bits and pieces and let's get started, just in time for Valentine's Day. ~ by Kim M. Bayne


Tiny Gift Cards for Your Sweetheart

Materials & Tools List

Scraps Of White Poster Board Or Thick Card Stock

Paper Trimmer with Cutting and Scoring Blades, like 12" Portable Paper Trimmer Item #95987097 by Fiskar's

Discarded Light Bulb Packaging, like a Lightweight Corrugated Cardboard Box

Metallic Paint In Pink, like Ceramcoat Pearls Acrylic Paint In Fuchsia Pearl by Delta

Paint Brushes

Good Pair Of Comfortable, Teflon-like Coated Scissors, like Velvet Touch Scissors by Armada

1/8-inch Round Paper Punch, like Punchline 52400 by McGill, Inc.

Double-Stick Tape, like LePage’s Permanent 2-Sided Tape

Scraps Of Dark Pink Tissue Paper

All-Purpose White Craft Glue, like Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue

Silver Glitter Glue, like 3D Jumbo Washable Glitter Paint Pens by Elmer's

Pink Heart-Shaped Brad

Pink Fabric Ribbon

Random Scraps Of Paper, Any Size

Random Ephemera And Embellishments, like Cancelled Postage Stamps, Charms, Brads, Eyelets, Buttons, Rhinestones, And Other Doo-Dads

The Steps
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1. Cut pieces of poster board or card stock into 2 by 4-inch pieces.


2. Using paper trimmer scoring blade, score each piece of card at the 2-inch point. Fold. You now have your basic gift enclosure card. Repeat until you have as many blank cards as you'd like.


Ready? Time to embellish. Here are some sample gift cards you can make with the tiniest of embellishments and scraps.

3. The next time you use the last light bulb, save the package. It has lightweight, recyclable corrugated paper you can use for your paper crafting projects. Alternately, you can always use any piece of card stock and a crimping tool. Cut the cardboard into 1.75-inch squares (roughly).


4. Using the fuschia acrylic, paint the squares of corrugated paper then allow them to dry.


5. After the square has dried, apply glue to the front bottom of the square. Push a torn piece of pink tissue paper into the grooves on the cardboard then let it dry.


6. Using a small brush, apply glitter glue to the front of the tissue paper. Let it dry.

7. Trim excess tissue paper from around the square with scissors.

8. Punch a small hole in the decorative square then insert the heart-shaped brad.

9. Using a piece of double-stick tape, attach a small piece of ribbon horizontally.


10. Affix the embellished square to the front of a gift card. Voila! Now tape your gift card to the front of a package you carefully wrapped for your Valentine.


Now wasn't that easy? How many other teeny-tiny gift cards can you make? Here are a few more ideas.

This gift card uses the same painted corrugated cardboard, but I've torn it at an angle, backed it with a torn piece of pink card stock then added a fabric rose with glue.


This gift card uses the same paper choices as above, but I substituted a brass heart-shaped charm.


This gift card uses black glossy card stock, red matte card stock stamped with a Chinese calligraphy stamp, and a scrap of gold mesh ribbon from the holidays.


The next time you lean toward the trash can with a scrap of your favorite decorative paper, one lone rhinestone or that last sticker, think again! Pull out your gift card blanks and get crafting!

Project Tips

If you want to have plenty of blank gift cards ready to go, always cut more than you think you need. Stash blank leftovers for your next TV crafting session.

Poster board may not lay as flat as you'd like, so consider experimenting with different paper weights. By the way, paper folders are great for recycling into gift card blanks.

If you want to hang your gift card, rather than attach it to a package with tape, punch a small hole in the upper left-hand corner and add a piece of gold string.

Recycle everything. You'll be amazed at how many different things can fit into a 2-inch square space.

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Additional Reading

Quick and Clever Handmade Cards by Julie Hickey

Making Greeting Cards With Creative Materials by Maryjo McGraw

Designing Handcrafted Cards: Step-By-Step Techniques for Crafting 60 Beautiful Cards by Claire Sun-Ok Choi, Yonghyun Kim

Product Resource Guide

Buy your craft supplies at MisterArt.com

Wholesale Arts & Crafts Supplies

Most project photos on this page were taken with a 5.0 MP resolution KODAK EASYSHARE DX4530 Zoom Digital Camera

Article Description: Got scraps? Make one-of-a-kind gift enclosure cards to go with a Valentine's Day surprise.