Vintage Valentine Paperweights

With Valentine's Day less than three weeks away, it's the perfect time to add a sentimental touch of romance (or schoolhouse puppy love) to your desk with a vintage Valentine Paperweight.  If you don't have any old Valentine's Day cards at hand, check with a local antique shop to see if they have a selection available.

I had the luxury of sorting through a few boxes of old Valentine's Day cards earlier this month and chose three simple, die-cut cards (pictured above) for these projects.  Choose cards with fun graphics that will fit well within the display area of your paperweight.

Important note:  Vintage cards can be very delicate, so be especially careful.  A coating that makes some cards shiny may also craze when the paper is bent.

To My Sweetheart

The first paperweight was created by cutting out the artwork on the Valentine's card.  I used a metallic paper background that shimmers when the light catches it.  This color of the paper (Blue Steel) compliments the dark blue bow in the little girl's hair.  It's also a nice backdrop for the red heart.

I used a glue stick to apply the card to the background.

Puppy Love

I'm a little heartbroken about this paperweight because I accidentally destroyed it when I attempted to change the background (note the earlier warning about the fragility of clear coatings).

The background is a soft shade of green.  I later realized it should have been blue to resemble a sky over the fence (duh!).  Plan B was to replace the green paper with a photo of a sky and clouds I tore out of a magazine.  It would have looked perfect. (Emphasis on would have.)

St. Valentine Greet to You!

I chose this card because I love the floral dress and huge, oversize bows. All little girls should have such a dress.  Don't you agree?

My goal with this design was to take a die-cut card and place it on a background that would make it look as though it wasn't die-cut at all.  I chose a piece of scrapbook paper in a yellow baroque pattern that really brought it all together.