Card No. 1  //  All The Coffee

Valentine’s Day can be so many things to different people and couples. To me, it’s a chance to do something thoughtful and more out of the ordinary for someone special. Jewelry, handbags, and new clothes are nice and all, but this is one holiday where I tend to prefer less “stuff” and more “thought”… it can be cooked, created, or as simple as discovering something new together.

Most of you probably haven’t done anything yet and I can almost bet you haven’t bought a card yet (am I right?). I’m not a fan of the cheesy Hallmark versions you’re going to find at the store and personally I think it’s a fun holiday to play with quirky messages like this card from my Valentine’s Day gift roundup for him and her and share your thoughts in a more creative way.

Last year I did a little post about how to make simple DIY Valentine’s Day cards with just a pen, paper and matches. It’s an all time favorite of mine, so this year I decided to make some newer versions that you can even print and use yourself!

With a special delivery from HP a few weeks ago, I’ve been spending a lot of my free time creating some fun projects on the new HP Sprout – an insanely cool new computer that is redefining how we can create things digitally. One of the things I can’t stop playing with is the ability to use the Sprout to practice my calligraphy and even use other elements to create easy, DIY printable cards. You can use your finger or a stylus depending on the type of precision you’re looking for and create different elements of the card. The best thing about it is that you can erase and try again!

Card No. 2  //  Heart Melt

I’m still getting used to the stylus, but I actually love how the pen makes it look more homemade depending on the size of the pen you choose. I’m loving the chance to play with different colors since I haven’t yet tried anything in my handmade calligraphy outside of black ink.

Card No. 3  //  My Perfect Match (circle one or all for a fun extra touch)

For these three versions, I drew each word separately and then at the end grouped them together so that I could move them into the center and format the card. For Card No. 3, I used the projector to scan two matches out of a matchbook I picked up at a restaurant and resized them with my fingers to go with the text. It was so easy and quick!

To print, I just uploaded the images to Walgreen’s website and created a project for a 5×7 folded card sold individually. I used the image I designed for my card on the front and left the rest blank, but feel free to customize whatever you’d like.

Just for fun, you can use any of these three designs to print your own card and personalize to your special someone! There’s a link below and you just have to hit download, then print at any store of your choice. Happy early Valentine’s Day!

• Download >> Free Valentine’s Day Cards: No. 1 (All The Coffee)
• Download >> Free Valentine’s Day Cards: No. 2 (Heart Melt)
• Download >> Free Valentine’s Day Cards: No. 3 (My Perfect Match)

[ make sure you shrink in half before printing so that you an fit on one side of a card – special thanks to my friend Kendall for helping me catch that! ]

This post is part of a collaboration with Sprout by HP. Thank you for your continued support!