Hand-Stitched Valentine

Do you still need a Valentine's Day card for someone special in your life?  I was inspired to make this card after looking at some of the different handmade Valentines out there on the Web, such as this one at BHG.com:

I had some white stationery on hand that is fairly heavy, as is cardstock.  I used red embroidery thread to sew a traditional Valentine message on the other side.

To do this, I traced my message on one side of the card lightly in pencil, and poked somewhat evenly-spaced holes in each letter with a sewing needle.  I wanted the finished effect to look like a dotted line so I left space between each stitch. 

I then cut a heart out of felt, sewed on some buttons, and glued it on the other side.  This decorates the other side and hides the wrong side of your stitching.

There are so many creative variations on this project.  You can sew your message in ribbon or yarn.  You can use paper doilies, vintage buttons, lace, etc., to decorate the front.  The hand sewing is time-consuming, so this card should be intended for someone you really love (*wink*).

And don't worry about making everything look perfect -- it's the effort and thought that counts.  I'm sure that your sweetie will appreciate it!