Whether you do Valentine’s Day (14th Feb), Valentine’s Day (13th Feb) or just want to make something nice for a loved one, these three makes are super easy, fun and pretty cost effective to make.

The makes I’m going to share with you are:

• Handprinted cards

• Handprinted totes

• Decoupage & drypoint gift/keepsake boxes

I managed to make all of these in one afternoon and had a lush time making them all.

Handprinted Cards

What you need:

• Small blank cards and envelopes

• Ink pads

• Pencil

• Polystyrene tiles

These are so so simple but really pretty.

All you have to do is draw a design into the polystyrene with a pencil, ink it up with the ink pad and press the tile ink side down onto the card. When you peel it back, you’ll see the mirror image of your design.

For a more detailed tutorial, head here.

Handprinted Totes

What you need:

• Plain fabric tote

• Card board to place inside it

• Sponge roller

• Acrylic paints

• Fabric medium (I use System 3 - get it here)

• The polystyrene tile from the last make

Put the card sheet inside the tote so that the ink doesn’t soak through to the other side. Then mix your chosen paint colour half and half with the fabric medium. This makes the paint colour fast and will enable you to wash it without losing your design.

Next use the roller to apply ink all over your tile and press it ink side down onto your tote. Repeat this as many times as you like until you have a design that you are happy with.

Leave it to dry over night and then iron it with a piece of paper or old tea cloth between the iron and the inked surface. This seals the ink.

TIP: Make sure you turn the steam function off your iron while you are heat sealing your design.

Decoupage & Drypoint Gift/Keepsake Boxes

What you need:

• Plain box with a lid

• Tissue papers

• Oil pastels

• Cartridge paper

• Printed photo on paper of an image that your loved one would like (I picked a rose)

• PVA glue

• Spreader

• Pencil

• Scissors

First to make the drypoint image, cover the back of the paper image with oil pastels of fun colours. These can be in strips, one colour or even rainbow. Then turn over the paper and lay it oil pastel side down on the cartridge paper. Use a pencil to trace the picture pressing down hard to transfer the pastels to the cartridge paper. When you peel it back you’ll have a colourful drawn line version of the photo.

Next tear up pieces of tissue paper. Spread glue on the box a patch at a time then lay the tissue down and paste more glue over the top. Repeat until the box and lid are covered.

Finally apply the drypoint image (cutting it down as necessary) to the lid of the box and spread glue over it to seal.

Leave it to dry.

If you’d like to have a go at these makes but want some more guidance, head to https://thesingingelf.co.uk/whatson/ to book onto the Valentine’s Crafternoon or contact me here to find out about my one to one art workshops.