Homemade embroidered Valentine’s Day cards you don’t need to be a seamstress to make

by Mariko Giverink
www.sheknows.com

Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for a handmade card to show someone special how much you care. This simple embroidery project is so easy you can make it in just a few minutes, but you’d never know it by looking. The only skill needed is threading a needle. I’ll show you how to do the rest.

Sewing up one or all of these cards is a quick and easy cut and paste project. Don’t let the sewing part deter you. It’s as simple as threading a needle, cutting out the felt hearts, and running your stitches in and out of card stock. Glue the embroidered card to a contrast piece of card stock and you’ve just created a beautiful handmade card for your special someone.

Let’s get started by printing out the template on regular printer paper to use as your heart patterns. Cut heart patterns out of paper, pin to the felt, and use these patterns to cut out your felt hearts, slightly larger than the pattern pieces. If making the banner design, reuse the tiny heart from the postcard as your pattern to cut the 3 banner hearts.

Print out another template on white card stock and cut along outer dotted lines. This will be used as the base of your cards. Cut your contrast card stock into 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 inches each for postcards (a quarter of an 8-1/2 x 11-inch sheet). Or for folded cards, cut into pieces 8-1/2″ x 5-1/2 inches each and fold in half.

Thread your needle with 2 strands of embroidery thread or 1 doubled strand of sewing thread and make a knot at the end.

Starting with your knot in the back, sew your hearts to the card stock as shown.

Here are some close ups so you can see how each card was embroidered. Simple X’s and an O hold the banner hearts in place. This one was glued to the inside of the card rather than the outside.

Simple tacking stitches hold the partnered hearts in place on this folded card.

For the thread heart, sew back and forth randomly in the pattern shown. I’m a firm believer that perfection is not the goal. Imperfection is embraced and gives a little bit of personality to each piece.

This little postcard heart is probably my favorite! Just fill in the name and address of the recipient for added charm and write your note on the left.

Using a glue stick, adhere your embroidered card to its backing piece and place under a heavy book to set the glue. For the postcard, be sure to glue the prettiest side so it shows in back. Now is a good time for a little coffee break while your glue dries!

Once dry, tuck into an envelope and send it to your valentine.

DIY embroidered valentines

Supplies:

• Printer and 1 sheet printer paper
• Contrasting card stock (1 sheet will make 4 cards, or choose 4 colors)
• Printable template
• Embroidery thread or sewing thread
• Sewing needle
• White card stock (1 sheet will make 4 cards)
• Scraps of pink or red felt
• Glue stick

Directions:

1. Print out the template on regular printer paper to use as heart templates. Cut heart patterns out and use these patterns to pin and cut out your felt hearts.
2. Print out another template on white card stock and cut along outer dotted lines. This will be your card base.
3. For postcards, cut your colored card stock into 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 inches each. For folded cards, cut into pieces 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches each and fold in half.
4. Thread needle with double threads and make a knot at the end. Sew your hearts on as shown in the pictures. End with your thread in the back and tie off with another knot.
5. Glue your embroidered card to its backing piece and sandwich between thick books to set the glue.