DIY VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT

valentine's day has always been my favorite holiday. as a bona fide girly girl, there isn't much greater than walking into a store filled with pink, red, & heart-shaped everything. i can't quite put my head around the fact that valentine's day gets so much hate; (perhaps because it makes some feel lonely by reminding them of their "singleness") but to me, valentine's day is about so much more than a relationship status. it's about showing love to those around you, whoever they may be...

one of the simplest ways to show you care is by giving a hand-made gift, so i thought i'd share one of my all-time favorite valentine's day gift ideas, the "52 things i love about you" deck of cards. this idea has been circling the pinterest realm for quite a while now & by no means do i take credit for having thought of it. i did however, create my own over the past few nights & thought i'd share exactly how i did it & what i used.

what i used…

-a deck of bicycle standard playing cards (i found mine at target)

-a handful of note cards

-one black ultra fine sharpie

-one red ultra fine sharpie

-modpodge

-a hole punch

-a binder ring (also found at target in a multi-pack)

-& finally, a piece of ribbon

what i did…

1. to begin, i used my paper cuter to cut my index cards in half until i ended up with 52 halves (+ 1 more for the cover)

2. next, i first created a cover page & then used my sharpies to write out my list of 52 things i love about __. i also added doodles that went along with what i wrote. here are a couple of examples just in case you get stuck:

"the way you cuddle"

"when you play guitar"

"the notes you leave on my phone" 

"when you talk in your sleep"

"the way you sing in the car" 

3. when all 52 pages were finished, i applied modpodge to the back of a playing card, (i used the white side because i wanted the red to be showing but use whichever you'd like) stuck on one of my 52 reasons, & then applied a layer of modpodge on top to completely seal the piece of paper to the card.

side note: i put the cover page on the front of one card & the first reason on the back to accommodate for the extra page, all other cards were one-sided. 

4. once i had finished applying all 52 pieces of paper to the card & allowed them time to dry, i punched a hole in the top left corner of the cards.

5. finally, i looped them onto a binder ring & tied on a bow for a cuteness! 

& ta-daa! this diy is incredibly simple & inexpensive to make though it does take a little bit of time & thought. but at the end of the day nothing beats a thoughtful, hand-made gift!

if you're short on time or don't consider yourself the crafty type, i think it would be equally as cute to put the decorated cards back into the box they came in. your loved one will be extra surprised when they open the box to find not just playing cards, but 52 reasons why they are loved! (+ bonus points for a little more manliness) 

happy valentine's day!

photos of the card book i created to come...