I heart Window Valentines {a tutorial!}

{this should be read in the same tone as Chris Farley when he'd do that talk show sketch on SNL}

'Member that time I was the craft coordinator for MOPS? And I was like a baby crafter who just fumbled her way through leading forty women in a craft every week? And 'member how sometimes I would make them do crafts some felt were a little too "advanced", 'cause I really liked crafts? And 'member how half the people in MOPS actually HATED crafts? And some snickered and complained, and then others would just smile sweetly then try to talk me into giving them the samples instead of actually having to do it?

'Member that?

That was awesome.

Well, if I remember correctly, I think making Window Valentines was one of the crafts I led in MOPS that everyone actually loved. It was easy, useful, and successful at all the tables.

Today, my kids are home sick. Boo hoo. But kind of not boo hoo because we had a big bag of Valentine making supplies! So I took pics of each step in case you wanted to be a copy-cat.

These turn out so amazing, and I've made them simpler than in the MOPS days.

I had a little Valentine-making protege too, though she had her own ideas about how hers were going to look. (Of course. Why would I expect anything else?)

[disclaimer for everyone else reading this: I do not scrapbook. I am not a scrapper. I don't have lots of scrappy supplies and cutie bits of things that could make these even cuter. So if you do, go to town. Today I just wanted to get some done with two small people in my midst.]

So here we go. WINDOW VALENTINES

STEP 1: Cut 2 different kinds of paper or cardstock into 5"x7" sheets and find a sharp cutting tool. One of the papers SHOULD be double-sided. (For MOPS, I spray adhesived two coordinating papers together, back-to-back instead. What was I thinking?)

STEP 2: On the back side of the double-sided paper, mark four dots, about 1.5" in from the top and bottom edges at each corner. After you do a couple, you won't have to mark the dots. You can eyeball it.

STEP 3: Using the cutting tool and a ruler, cut an X, connecting the dots.

STEP 4: Stack the "X" paper on top of the other paper. Using a small hole punch, fold back each corner, one at a time, and punch through the point of the top layer and the bottom layer of the card.

STEP 5: Secure three of the four points down with brads. Leave one open so that you can slide in a photo or a note or something.

STEP 6: Secure the last point down with a brad and write your message on the back.

If you don't fold your points past the edge of the base paper (like I did), you can fit these Valentines into 5x7 envelopes for mailing. But I like the points to poke over the edges.

Flip your double-sided paper around and make cards with the opposite colorations too. Here are mine, all ready for my messages of love to finish them off.

I kind of love the one with the 5"x5" piece of paper on top of the 5"x7" one.

Sometimes my experimental ones turn out to be my favorites. I put some fancy chipboard pieces in the window of some of them too. That window just begs for creativity. I wish I had some pretty paper doilies to cut up.

Since I started off with 12"x12" sheets, I was able to cut two 5"x7" cards and two 5"x5" cards out of one sheet. That is a good bargain, since I paid only $0.25 per sheet. Look how cute the square cards look with an old-fashioned photo inside? This is my grandparents. They live in Oklahoma, so I miss them always.



Here are my little friend's creations. Isn't she good? She made 35 Valentines. I love how her choices of paper and her simple ideas became a pile of results. She was really proud of herself.

I know you know this. But perhaps the best thing about projects is not necessarily the result; I may love the sense of accomplishment best of all.

Happy Valentining, friend.