Cuddly Buddly Crafts Blog

5 – Turn over the card and apply double sided tape along the edges shown. Place the other opened tag card underneath, and stick the first card on top. You will now have a concertina card with a pocket and flap as shown in the photo.

6 – Print out your chosen graphics, and carefully cut out with scissors or craft knife.

7 – Resize the freebie templates of the oval and heart, this can be done in any graphics programme or many other programmes such as Word or Open Office (which is free to download). You will need 2 oval sizes, so one will fit on top of the other. The length of the ovals I used was 15.5 cm and 13.5cm. The length of the heart I used was 9.5cm. Cut out the reusable templates. Draw round several times, so you have 5 large and 5 smaller ovals and 3 hearts. Carefully cut out. If the thought of cutting so many ovals is a bit daunting, simple rectangles or even making a smaller tag template and using this would look just as effective.

8 – An additional option to add a nice touch if you have a Cuttlebug or other system is to emboss the ovals and hearts using the Cuttlebug embossing folders. The large oval wont quite fit in the folders but if you do part of it, then turn it round, it will still look just as effective. Sandwich the shapes using the embossing folder and run through the machine.

9 – Print the backing paper taken from the Love Bits graphics collection on to some card. Take your tag card, with the pocket/flap face down and lay it on top of the printed card. Line up the edge of the tag card with the edge of the printed sheet. Make a pencil mark where the tag part of the card goes up to an angle. Remove the tag card and draw a diagonal line from the mark to the corner of the printed card. Cut out, then repeat with the opposite page of the card.

10 – Apply double-sided tape to the corner edges only of the pockets (not along the side where the tags will slip in). Once in place add the heart borders with double sided tape.

11 – To make the tags that sit inside the pockets, take a large oval and stick a smaller oval on top. Take your chosen graphics and using foam pads attach the graphic to the tag. Taking a hole punch, punch a hole and thread a length of coordinating ribbon through and tie a knot to secure. Repeat with the other tag. You can write secret messages on the back of the tags, also messages can be added to the hearts on the graphics.

12 – Layer an oval combination on the centre panel of the card, and place chosen graphics again fixing with foam pads This will be the ideal place to write your main messages.

13 – Taking the heart tags, apply a light border of chalk around the edges.

14 – Punch a hole in the top, thread a length of ribbon through adding a small charm, then tie in a knot to secure.

15 – Make the two front panels in exactly the same way as the tags, but this time attach the whole topper to the panels of the card with foam pads. Pop the heart tags inside the pocket (after adding your secret messages!). Add the final graphics and stick gems to the flap, this is another place to add a secret message or even a hidden photograph, punch a hole in the flap and add ribbon.

16 – Fold the card together and punch a hole through all the layers, thread ribbon and tie in a big bow, this will hold the card together until ready to be opened.

17 – There are lots of places in this card to add your secret Valentine messages, you could even add photographs on the back of tags or even under the flap.