Crafty Cupid

When it comes to holidays, I can be a bit of a fair weather fan.

If I have a great costume idea and diverting plans for the evening, Halloween takes the cake.
But when Valentine's Day rolls around several months later I want nothing more than to inundate my friends with cards and trinkets, and submerge myself in a world of pink roses.

As a kid, I had more fabulous holiday-specific hair bows, necklaces, sweaters and tights for Valentine's Day than any other holiday. At this time every year I long for those accoutrements and the feelings they imbued me with.

Because of those positive associations, I think Valentine's Day is an utterly LOVABLE event (even when you're single). Afterall:

• It's one of the few occasions in which pink and red colored paper is festive enough to warm hearts and set the tone for a whole party.
• It's a free pass to gush about how much you love the people in your life (and force them to accept it).
• Whereas Christmas offers opportunities to fantasize about the idyllic Victorian lifestyle depicted in Currier & Ives prints, Valentine's Day allows us to actually LIVE OUT those romanticized moments: Swapping locks of hair, hand-stitched cards, and decorating with lace, lace and more lace.
  

I used to make by hand every single Valentine that I distributed.
Were it not for limits in time and, more truthfully, in crafting/storage space, I think I still would.
The February issue of Martha Stewart Living was an annual treat that provided me the best inspiration for V-Day projects.

In honor of one of my favorite pastimes I'm sharing here some of the loveliest Valentine's crafting ideas from Martha's website (click on any photo to be redirected to full instructions):

Handmade Heart Doilies

For Secret Messages...

Chocolate Wrapper // Valentine Flowers (I wrote poems on these in 7th grade)

For that Heartfelt Homespun feeling...

Heart-Shaped Soap // See-Through Valentines

For a little Tea and Sympathy...

Heart-Shaped Tea Bags

For Creating Paper Magic...

Cobweb Valentine // Lace-Print Stationery

Think (and wear!) Pink.
Make the Boys Wink.
happy <3 day. Cxx.

(All photos via MarthaStewart.com)