waysideviolet - cozy, lovely things

I was standing in the card aisle at a busy store hunting for a not dumb, not ugly, and absolutely not glittery card. Somewhere between the wailing children and over-caffeinated soccer moms who seemed intent on buying EVERY card in sight, I decided that buying a card in a shop was not the way to go.

For family and friends I ordered these lovelies, but I wanted to handmake Joel’s Valentine so while he was out, I was sneaky and made this fancy, little note.

I channeled my latent, note passing skills and got to work. I used our old Corona typewriter, a beloved hand-me-down from Joel’s grandparents, to type what I wanted to say. If you don’t have a typewriter pull out your favorite pen/colored pencils/etc and create your own wording.

I kept this sample message short and sweet, "I'm Glad You Are Mine, Valentine"

Take your note and fold into your desired shape. I went with a square but how perfect would a heart be?

Gather your supplies: sealing wax, match, note, and seal if you choose to use one. If you’re using a seal it’s helpful to have a small dish of cold water at hand.

Light the sealing wax and allow the melting wax to drip onto your note. If you’re using a seal dip it into the cold water. Shake gently to remove any lingering drops and press it into the wax.

I think that sealing wax smoke smells like toy train smoke...

I liked how my note looked with just an organic, not perfectly circular, drop of wax. Secretly I don’t even mind the little dot that dripped away from the center.

Are you sending Valentines this year?

Tags: handmade, homemade valentine, paper crafts, valentine