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Hearts and Scraps: Valentine Kits for the Little Free Library

I’m joining bloggers from around the world in a monthly “ScrapHappy” endeavor. We’re challenged to make something entirely out of scraps.

The heart at the top of the sign is made from an old playing card

Here in the US, as in many other countries, February 14th is Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day customs – sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”), offering confectionary and presenting flowers – developed in early modern England and spread throughout the English-speaking world in the 19th century.

Wikipedia

In honor of this tradition, I’ve pulled together scraps from a variety of sources to create Valentine’s Day card-kits for our Little Free Library. Young library users have snapped them up. It’s so satisfying imagining them crafting at home.

Valentine’s Day Card-making Kits

For starters, the base card and envelope are from my friend and fellow blogger Heidi from Minnesota. Heidi makes gorgeous cards! She had leftover paper and envelopes and kindly shared them with me to use in future card kits.

Envelopes and Cards from a friend

Heidi also sent sample-sized selections of Washi tape, seen below in one of my miniature gardens.

Fishtail Washi Tape

The colorful paper is leftover from kits I made a year ago.

Colorful paper scraps staged on top of the anemone going to seed

The small paper doilies are part of my stash. As a young girl, I loved the way the layers stuck together. You could peel them apart like an onion. Doilies evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Doily and Nasturtium

The red rickrack in the kits sat in a storeroom at Lifted Spirits for almost three years. Boxes of sewing supplies arrived as part of a donation. We turned yardage into tablecloths, farmed out suitable quilting fabric to quilters in the area, and used assorted ribbon to color-code baskets. Rickrack has fallen out of favor from a sewing perspective, but it will make excellent trim for someone’s Valentine.

Red Rickrack trim

Finally, the small tag board embellishments and hearts were leftover from a volunteer project. I found them in a cupboard when I cleaned out the former director’s office.

Violets and Tagboard Embellishments
Recycled baggie (turning single-use into double use, but still too much plastic)

Please contact our host Kate, of Tall Tales from Chiconia for details. We create with scraps, then blog about our experience on the 15th of each month. Be sure to check out the creativity of my fellow bloggers linked below on February 15, 2021.


Kate, Gun,Eva, Sue,Lynn,Lynda,
Birthe,Turid,Susan,Cathy, Tracy,Jill,
Claire,Jan, Moira,Sandra, Chris,
Kerry, Claire, Jean, Jon,Hayley, Dawn,
Gwen, Bekki, Sue L, Sunny, Kjerstin,
Vera, Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2 and Noreen

33 thoughts on “Hearts and Scraps: Valentine Kits for the Little Free Library”

  5. Oh, how I loved this post! Everything about it, from the creativity to the generosity to the frugal reuse of those lovely scraps. No wonder those kids snapped up the kits. Makes me smile to think about it.

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  6. Every year I think I’ll make my own cards, Christmas, Valentines, etc. I have aroundtuit but it doesn’t seem to be working. Don’t seem to be getting a round tuit on any front but your packets to make cards are so inspiring. Won’t be mailing anything this weekend. SNOW!!! We finally have some but laced with ice so not even a walk to the mailbox will be advisable. Glad to see you here.

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    • Walking on ice terrifies me. I don’t know how anyone does it. It’s good to know you are home safe during the winter weather. As for making cards, I always think I should start offseason so that I’m prepared…then I never quite get there. That’s okay. The kits are in the hands of young folks who don’t have the same constraints.

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  7. What a dear girl you are, Alys. I’m unlikely to get a Valentine this year, as in all previous years of my life; but I really love the idea of little faces and hands labouring over cards for their favourite people. ❤

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  9. I started reading thinking that you were making the cards ~ I know how you love making cards! Then my smile got even wider to know that you were making these little baggies out of found things so that others could join in the joy of creating. What a generous person Heidi is too.

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    • Thank you, Anne. Bloggers are a generous lot, and I include you on that list. I intended to make cards, but I ran out of time. I made New Year’s cards, which was great fun, but I never blogged about them. Funny that.

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  13. What joy you shared with the youngest visitors to your Little Free Library, Alys! It’s such a perfect way to introduce today’s children to the tradition of creating handmade valentines. You really do think of everything! You have the most kindhearted soul, sweet friend! The young crafters will always remember your kindness and the magic of papercrafting.
    Alys, displaying your colorful scraps amidst your garden plants tickled my heartstrings! Sending warmest hugs across the miles, dear heart! Be well! 💗

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    • Thank you, Dawn! You are such a dear. I love creating these card kits and I’m pleased to see them disappear one by one. I’m so glad you enjoyed my scraps amidst the garden. You’re the first to notice and comment. Kindred spirits . 🙂

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