I know you have heard me say it before; I hate spending money on cards. Valentine’s day is no different! I’ve talked about how strolling down the card aisle with all of the pictures, jokes and sappy lines makes me a bit nauseous. It isn’t the silly sayings and bad jokes that turn my insides around. It is the crazy prices on the backs of the cards that always make me feel a little ill. With greeting card prices on the rise, you can easily spend over $5.00 buying just one card. If you add music, pictures, embellishments the prices climb toward $10.00. It’s crazy – if you have to buy a few valentines you can easily spend $30 or more! No way! I’ve decided to go the make your own Valentines route this year and try to save some money. Want to try it too? These DIY card ideas are sure to save you some money!

Paper cards
This is a super easy and fun idea if you want to make your own Valentines. You don’t have to be really crafty, even a simple homemade card can be nice. Use a couple of different textures or colors of paper and layer for depth. Color it with colored pencils or markers. This is a super idea for children. If your kids make their own valentines for family members, you can even save them as a reminder of their writing and drawing skills. It is so much fun to go back and look at things my kids made when they were little. Love this easy idea to make your own Valentines.

Print a card
A quick internet search will provide you with so many options for printing a card. You can make your own Valentines so easily by printing one of the thousands of free cards available online. There are cards for all ages available to print online. You will find some online retailers who charge to print a card but you won’t need to use a pay website. Keep looking and find a great card to print for free.

Books
Give a small book instead of a card. Write a note inside and the card is now also a gift. I think this is a fun and useful way to skip the store bought cards and make your own Valentines.

Magazines
This idea is the same as using a book for a card. Easy, inexpensive and fun!

Cookies or Cake
Try baking a cookie or cake and writing a note to your sweetheart on the top of it. Who says a cookie or cake can’t be a card? I think a big chocolate chip cookie with a sweet note written in frosting would make a cute and yummy valentine. This is a super sweet and tasty way to make your own Valentines!

Write on the mirror or window
This is a fun way to make your own Valentines. Write a note or poem on the the bathroom mirror, shower door or window. You can write on any other glass or mirror around the house. You could also try writing the note or poem on the car windows.

Have more ideas or a way to make your own Valentines? Share the ideas with us, we love to hear from you!