© Lynda Archard February
2001
Original graphic by Lynda Archard
Be romantic and design your own Valentines card. Here are two ways to make one depending on if you have card or paper, plus links to a bit of history and the language of flowers. There are also links to Valentine graphics for cards and web pages too.
Originally a Valentine’s card would have been handmade. It might not have been in a folding format like the ones we buy today but it was extremely romantic. Ribbons and lace were often glued around the edge of a picture that was stuck onto a piece of card and sometimes dried herbs or flowers were used too, especially during Victorian times.
Today the easiest way to make a card is by switching on your computer and opening a publisher package. There are two ways to set up your page depending on whether you have card or paper to print on. If it is card then you should format the page to have two columns like the picture above. You also need two pages so that the second can contain a message or poem on the RIGHT side. The left side is the back of your card. Here you can place a small picture of the cover graphic, a small heart or perhaps a cupid. At the bottom you can print something such as ‘handmade by….’ And a copyright symbol with the year it was made. The right side is the front and should contain a picture of your choice on the RIGHT and perhaps a message written in fancy text. When it is finished you should print the first page and when it is ready just turn it over and print the inside page.
The second is for paper cards and when finished will be half the size after it is folded in half then half again. This one needs two columns and two rows, each square represents one page. In the TOP LEFT page you place your poem or message but will need to rotate it. When the card is folded this will be inside your card. The BOTTOM LEFT is the back and the BOTTOM RIGHT is your front page.
Which one you choose is your choice. If you choose card then you could of course add ribbons, lace, dried herbs or dried flowers. Be creative and have fun. The art of putting it together for someone special empowers the card to become more special than any shop bought one.
