Make a Crochet and Paper Valentine Card
You could spend five dollars on a Valentine's Day card for the person you love, or you could take the time to make something that is truly special.
If you know a little basic crochet, the rest of this project is fairly easy. If you don't know how to crochet, this is a fairly easy project for learning, or you could make the center heart from paper (or any other medium you want) and follow just the paper steps in the second half.
Steps
- Use a fairly small hook, such as 0 or 00, and thin string or yarn. It doesn't have to be microscopic, just slender enough to look elegant. Use a hook size that is comfortable for your yarn or string.
- Make a slip knot and chain six.
- Single crochet back across the row (sc5). Chain one as a turning chain (first row).
- Repeat for a total of five rows of single crochet. Don't forget the turning chain between rows. You should now have a small square of crochet, five stitches wide by five rows high.
- Chain one, turn, and double crochet into the center stitch (the third of five) of the previous row. Repeat this chain one and double crochet five more times, for a total of six sets of (ch1, dc) into the same center stitch. This leaves you with a semicircular shape. Slip stitch into the corner of the original square.
- Make a second semicircle into the middle of the adjacent side, exactly the same as the first: crochet six sets of (ch1, dc). Work into the center of the next side of the square. Since you are now working into the side of your work, there won't be a specific stitch. Just pick a spot in the middle and work into it.
- Slip stitch back into the corner of the original square to join.
- Block the shape into a heart. Pull gently on the edges until it's fairly flat and even.
- Add a decorative border, if desired, or stop at the basic heart. One easy border is a picot stitch.
- Work this stitch by doing a single crochet (sc).
- Chain three.
- Single crochet again back into the same spot. Slip stitch or single crochet around the edge to the next place where you want a picot.
- Work the picots in locations so that they complement the heart shape and so that they are in about the same place on both sides.
- Tie off and sew in the ends.
- Cut paper hearts. You can fold a piece of scrap paper in half (this is the side of a junk mail envelope) to create a pattern. Size them to your crocheted heart.
- Cut one paper heart a little larger than the crocheted heart in a strongly contrasting color. It will help if this heart is out of fairly stiff paper or cardstock.
- Cut the other a little larger than the smaller heart in any coordinating color.
- Align the crocheted heart to the smaller paper heart so that it is centered. Use a push pin to poke holes where you will sew the heart to the paper. If you locate them evenly, it can help to flatten the piece and make it symmetrical.
- Stitch the crochet heart onto the smaller paper heart. Use the same thread as you used to make the heart so the stitches are concealed.
- Leave an open space in the center on the back, to give yourself a place for the glue.
- Stitching at the tips of the picots will help the heart lie flat.
- Do a test fit of the paper hearts on the card without gluing them down yet. Mark the locations of the points, top and bottom, lightly in pencil.
- Decide what you want the card to say. You can letter on the front or the inside, or both.
- If calligraphy is not your strong point, you could also use a computer printer or stamps to letter the card. Or, leave the front blank and write in your own handwriting inside.
- This is a great opportunity to use a calligraphy pen, fancy fountain pen, dip pen, brush, or other artistic tool.
- Practice the lettering on a piece of scratch paper if you need to. Get the size and spacing about right for the card. It's especially important to practice if you're writing with anything you don't often use.
- Draw guidelines lightly in pencil for the letters. You can even trace the letters lightly in pencil to help you get the spacing right.
- Write the letters. This is a handmade card, so don't be afraid to go for a handmade look.
- Wait for the ink or paint to dry thoroughly, then erase the guidelines. Repeat for the lettering on the inside.
- Apply glue to the back of the outer heart. Align it carefully on the card and smooth it down.
- Cut a rectangular tab out of a piece of stiff cardboard, such as a cereal box. Score it and fold it in half.
- Glue one side of the tab to the small heart.
- Apply glue to the other side of the tab.
- Align the smaller heart in the center of the larger one and glue it down.
- The tab makes it pop up a bit. If you'd rather it didn't, glue the two sides of the tab together or use a single thickness of cardboard for the tab. The tab helps compensate for the thickness of the string you used to sew on the heart.
- Weigh the whole thing down with a heavy object until it dries.
- Finished!
Tips
- Don't worry about it if the result looks handmade. That's the point.
- Do the lettering before gluing the paper and crochet to the card, just in case it doesn't come out the way you intended.
- It's best to present a card like this in person, but if you will be mailing it, you may want to put a bit of stiff cardboard over the embellishments on the front, inside the envelope. Also, check whether you need extra postage.
- These hearts could adorn many things (hats, bags, etc.) and they're good for using up small leftovers of just about any yarn. Have fun with them.
- You could also glue or stitch the crocheted heart directly to the card, but the paper hearts give it some contrast and the shape of the paper helps to emphasize the shape of the crochet, especially if you have added picots or another border. The nested hearts also draw the eye in, especially if the inner is darker than the outer.
- The crochet pattern here is written in terms of U.S. terminology. For a side by side comparison, see http://www.yarnforward.com/crochet.html.
Warnings
- Make sure the ink is thoroughly dry before erasing and before opening or closing the card. Give it several minutes if you need to.
- Use due caution with scissors, needles, craft knives, etc.
- Put down scrap paper under your project for the parts involving ink and glue and roll up your sleeves.
Things You'll Need
- A crochet hook and thread. It doesn't take much thread, so leftovers from another project will work well
- A needle just large enough to accommodate the string
- A push pin (optional, but helpful)
- A medium to large blank card. You could also cut and fold a piece of cardstock or heavy paper
- A couple of pieces of decorative paper. Try gift wrap, the scrapbook section of any craft store, or see what's colorful in your recycle bin. The gold paper here was reclaimed from the inside lining of a greeting card envelope
- A glue stick
- A pencil
- Pen and ink, brush and paint, computer printer, or rubber stamps
- Scissors
- A craft knife
- A cutting mat or surface. Try an old magazine or a piece of flat cardboard (such as a cereal box) if you don't have a cutting mat
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