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    Our Favorite Printable Valentines

    Brittany
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    Our Favorite Printable Valentines

    printables

    Lars Shop Artists

    For those of you who may be unaware, we have many amazing artists whose work we feature in our shop. They’ve collaborated with us to make all kinds of things, from home decor items to puzzles. One of the highlights of the year is seeing all the beautiful valentines these talented artists come up with! The best perk about the valentines made by our artist friends is that most all of them are printables. That means you can still fulfill your need for fresh and fun valentines without a big time commitment. Print them off and have your kids assemble them for their school valentines! But don’t worry, adults love them too. In fact, they’re perfect for all ages, really. Give them to anyone who needs a little love. Take a look, we have a feeling you’ll find something that’s just right for you!

    Our Favorite Printable Valentines

    Printable Valentines Hearts For a Face Mask

    face mask hearts

    Perfect for a Valentine’s Day in the middle of a pandemic, we love Jessie Kanelos Weiner’s printable valentines hearts for a face mask. Just print and cut, and you’ll be donning this festive face mask all day.

    You’re the Top Valentines

    you're the top

    Also by Jessica Kanelos Weiner, these little valentines are classic, playful, and just the thing for your loved ones this Valentine’s Day.

    Printable Vase Valentines

    printable valentine

    We LOVE these printable vase valentines, designed by the talented Angie Stalker. Playful and whimsical, just print them off and attach a flower to them and you’re ready to give them to your loved ones. One thing that has us totally sold, is that once you’re done with them as valentines, keep them up on your wall for a fun pop of color and texture all year round (bonus: make a few paper flowers to go with them, perhaps)? If you’re interested, here’s another foldable variation.

    Valentines Heart Card

    heart

    Also by Angie Stalker, meet the valentines heart card. If you’re feeling like celebrating Valentine’s Day with a very literal pun, this clever little card is for you.

    IOU Cards and Envelopes

    IOU valentines

    Angie Stalker does it again! We love her IOU cards, complete with matching envelopes. This is such a fun twist on valentines, and is such a perfect opportunity to give a service-oriented gift to your loved ones this year. We all love chocolate, but how about some luxurious foot rubs? a surprise dinner? Just scratch off the sticker to reveal the IOU assignment.

    Valentine Postcard by Emily Isabella

    Next on the list of our favorite printable valentines is this valentine postcard by Emily Isabella. Nothing says Valentine’s Day in Paris like these ornate little beauties. They’re delicate, classy, and absolute eye-candy to look at. I’m definitely getting some Madeline vibes, here. I have to say, I’d be ecstatic to get one of these sweet little valentine postcards in the mail.

    Love Potion Valentines

    love potion

    By artist Danielle Kroll, these love potion valentines are a creative twist on a traditional valentine card. We’re not saying you should give your S.O. a love potion, but we think this card just might do the trick.

    Strawberry Dress/I Love You More Than Paris Valentines

    strawberry dress

    Another of our favorite printable valentines are these strawberry dress valentines. Sweet, simple and adorable, we can’t get enough of them or their sisters, “I love you more than Paris” valentines! They say “I love you” in an absolutely whimsical and dreamy way. Michelle Christensen of My Little Bellville really outdid herself with these charmers.

    Tear Apart Valentines

    Eclectic, original and so appropriate for the season, these tear apart valentines are a sweet idea. They’re the perfect valentine for a best friend or significant other. Give one half away, keep the other. Just like a friendship bracelet, but with valentines!

    Zoo Valentines

    animal printables

    Okay, we have to say, we’re completely obsessed with these adorable zoo valentines. Perfect for a Valentine’s Day party for kids or for your kiddos to take to school, these valentines are one of our favorite printable valentines of all time. They’re just so versatile. Fun for kids, fun for adults, these sweet little guys check all the boxes! Jessica Whittaker is a true master.

    Historical Figure Valentines

    Also by Jessica Whittaker, these historical figure valentines are a creative way to celebrate love day. If you’re a fan of clever puns, these are for you. You won’t be able to hold in the giggles.

    Valentines Stamp Cards and Envelopes

    printable valentine

    These sweet, supersized stamp cards are perfect for your long distance love needs. Are you surprised they made the list of our favorite printable valentines? This adorable twist on postage stamps is just the thing to brighten your loved one’s Valentine’s Day. I mean, can you imagine opening the mailbox to find this?! Day made. Thank you, Josefina Schargorodsky!

    Kiss Me Swallow Valentine

    If you love birds, look no further. We are drooling at how cute this little swallow valentine is! Classy and playful, it relies on beautiful simplicity to create a love note your significant other will treasure forever. Hilary Onyon did a spectacular job, we have to say.

    Hey You Carnation Valentine

    carnation

    Also by Hilary Onyon, we love this bold, two tone valentine with a little floral accent. It’s simple, clean, and distinct, and adds a fun pop of color to your valentine card collection. It definitely makes the list of our favorite printable valentines.

    Cupid Valentine

    We love the refreshing pop of blue on this cupid valentine by Hilary Onyon.

    Heart Tile Valentine

    house tile valentine

    This heart tile valentine is such a clever idea. Nestled among the shingles is a heart with a hidden message on it! Folk-art inspired tiled roof, we love this modern twist. And the colors? Perfection. We love Julie Marabelle’s work!

    Valentine Chocolate Wrap

    A clever twist on Valentine’s Day cards, we love the idea of a printable chocolate bar wrapper! The retro designs by Normandie Luscher are fun and bold, and it feels like stepping in to a Willy Wonka Chocolate shop. Here’s a candle wrap alternative, if you’re not feeling like gifting chocolate this year.

    Valentine cards by Rosie Harbottle

    printable valentine

    Reminiscent of a dreamy Valentine’s Day in Europe, we love the painterly illustrations on these lovely cards. Rosie Harbottle’s brushwork is fantastic and the colors bold and subtle at the same time, for a dreamy effect. If our travel is limited due to COVID, let’s bring all those travel vibes back home with these cards.

    You’re Eggstra Special Valentine

    egg and frog valentines

    Last but not least on the list for today of our favorite printable valentines is our eggstra special valentine. If you’re a fan of food puns, you’ll definitely want to take a closer look at these adorable and funny little valentines by Michéle Brummer Everett. They’re a great option for kids, especially those little ones who aren’t feeling very lovey and are scared of cooties. Another fun variation on the egg valentines are these frog valentines, or these beet valentines, all designed by Michéle.

    More Inspiration

    This list of our favorite printable valentines is definitely not comprehensive, and we have many more printable valentine options available in our shop! Check out our full Valentine’s Day collection here, complete with printables, stickers, hair ties, and more.

     

     

    Neighbor Gift Ideas

    Brittany
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    Neighbor Gift Ideas

    Neighbor Gift Ideas

    Cookie Boxes

    cookie boxes

    To start things off, we thought we should probably mention our cookie boxes. This is such a fun, easy way to package up your gifts! You can put actual cookies inside, like we did with our nativity-inspired cookie boxes, or you can fill them with other holiday goodies. If you loved our Mid-Century Nativity, you may want to go with the first option of cookie boxes. If you’re looking for a slight variation and fun gift to put inside, though, you should really check out our DIY Paper Fortune cookies and printable box. It’s also good gift that doesn’t involve sugary treats, so if you’re not sure of your neighbor’s dietary needs, this is a safe option.

    Colorful paper takeout boxes

    Another sweet and decorative option is our Paper Advent village calendar, which can be turned into a goodie box in an instant.

    Paper advent village calendar 7

    Christmas Poppers

    Similar to cookie boxes, Christmas Poppers are a lovely way to package up your neighbor gifts. This one is a bit smaller, which means you’re limited on size. Regardless, these Christmas poppers are adorable and festive, not to mention quick and easy to make. Stuff them with Christmas candy and you’re ready to go! Hint: you can double up and use our wrapping paper to make these pretty babies.

    Christmas poppers

    Wrapping Paper

    wrapping paperwrapping paperwrapping paper

    Did you know there is a wide range of options when it comes to the things you can do with wrapping paper? Yes, you can wrap a square box with it, but we’ve also compiled a few creative things you can do to spice up your neighbor gifts with wrapping paper. This is a post on different packages you can make by folding wrapping paper (like bags and even an origami shirt box)! And if you have simple colored paper lying around, you would probably love our Fruit and Licorice wrapping paper hacks.

    fruit wrapping paper

    licorice

    Oh, and here’s our color combination wrapping paper for all your gift wrapping needs! You can use it to get creative with neighbor gifts, and even make it into Christmas poppers.

    wrapping paper

    Gift Toppers

    greenery gift topper

    Gift toppers are another eye-catching and festive way to spice up your neighbor gifts. These holiday greenery gift toppers are the perfect addition to your neighbor gift packages! Since they’re paper, you don’t have to worry about real pine boughs drying up and falling off.

    3D Paper flower gift toppers

    If you can’t seem to say goodbye to flowers during winter, these 3D paper flower gift toppers are the perfect solution. Prettify your gifts while helping keep the seasonal depression at bay for you and your neighbors!

    Last little gift topper idea: This put a bird on it gift topper is a good inside joke, if you’re into Portlandia, and a unique gift topper that is both cute and decorative (the nice thing is, your 90-year-old neighbor doesn’t need to get the joke to appreciate the bird). Also, need I mention that it’s so easy? Just put a bird on it!

    bird gift topper

    Cupcake toppers

    Now these cupcake toppers are a little more involved, if you decide to make cupcakes. But the fun thing about them is you can easily make them into a simple gift topper if you don’t have the time for baking! And then the option to get baking is always there if you’re in for the extra time commitment.

    christmas cake topper

    The same can be said for our adorable little Christmas Tree cake toppers. Gather them into a little bundle and you have another variation of our holiday greenery gift toppers. The other option is to throw a holiday party and invite your neighbors! Then you have every reason to make a cake and use these adorable little trees in their original state, while simultaneously fulfilling your neighbor gifts.

    Crepe Paper Christmas Tree Cake Topper

    Christmas Ornaments

    Now that you’ve made your adorable gift packaging, the question is, what are you going to fill it with? Well, it just so happens that we have some adorable and seasonally appropriate things in our shop right now that might suit your fancy! To start with, we have a large collection of ornaments that are delicate, beautiful and a wonderful option to gift to loved ones. If you’re looking for something a bit more DIY, we also have some wonderful little templates to make your own paper ornaments (like this and this). And with kids in mind, don’t forget about our lovely snowflake templates (here’s the link to the full tutorial), Nativity paper dolls or coloring pages.

    Shop Ornaments

    nativity coloring pages

    More Inspiration

    If you need more last minute gift ideas, you’ll probably love our 2021 gift guides. Christmas Decorations Gift Guide, Best Gifts for Crafters, Christmas Gifts for Women, Christmas Gifts for Men, and Christmas Gifts for Kids. For more Christmas gift ideas, see our shop!

     

    Christmas Decor Ideas

    Brittany
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    Christmas Decor Ideas

    Paper Village Advent

    Christmas Advent Calendars

    To start off our list of favorite Christmas decor ideas, we had to include advent calendars! I love advent calendars, which is probably why we have so many to choose from at The House that Lars Built. Seriously, take your pick: we have such a wide variety that I’m sure one will suit your fancy! The thing I love about advent calendars is that they serve multiple purposes: A gorgeous and seasonal decoration to brighten your spirits, and a built-in count-down to Christmas! Oh, and the bonus of an occasional treat box.

    Christmas Bulb Advent Calendar

    Here’s a list of some of our favorite advents we’ve made over the years:

    Garlands

    cranberry garland

    Another tried and true Christmas decor idea we love is the garland! Besides sharing a name with the one and only Judy Garland, these sweet Christmas decorations are way to bring instant cheer and warmth to this cold season. We have a wide variety of garlands we’ve made over the years, ranging from paper to real fruit. One thing we love about garlands is that they’re so versatile! You can drape them in front of the mantle, use them to create a table centerpiece, hang them on the bannister, or drape them on the Christmas tree, just to name a few options.

    wood bead garland

     

    Here are our favorite seasonal Christmas garlands:

    Wreaths

    single arm wreath shot

     

    We couldn’t leave wreaths out of this list of Christmas decor ideas. Wreaths are such a classic Christmas decoration and we have plenty for you to choose from! We’re especially excited about our new Paper Poinsettia Wreath, which we just revealed last week.

    Paper Mushroom Wreath

    Here’s the list of some of our wreath favorites:

    Ornaments and Tree Decorations

    family heirloom ornaments

    Here at The House that Lars Built, we love ornaments! Really, though, you could consider it an obsession. But can you blame us?! Besides being such a classic Christmas decor element, Christmas Ornaments are such a fun decoration and an easy way to make your home feel cozy, festive, and seasonal! It’s hard to pick my favorite, honestly. There are so many lovely options to choose from on this list, you can’t go wrong!

    Paper Honeycomb Ornaments

     

    Here are some of our favorite Christmas tree ornaments:

    If you’re not feeling in the mood to get crafting and want a quick option to decorate your tree as Christmas gets closer, we’re here for you. As always, we have some beautiful new ornaments this year in the shop! Click here to see the options.

    Shop Ornaments

    Cake and Table Toppers

    Okay, now if you’re like me and you like to have a cozy gathering or two during the holiday season, then these cake and table toppers are must-haves! There’s just something about decorating your food to look festive that makes eating it so much more appropriate for the holidays.

    christmas cake topper

    Here are our go-to cake and table toppers:

    Crepe Paper Christmas Tree Cake Topper

    And if you’re feeling in the mood for a little seasonal piñata to add to your party, we have just the thing for you:

    pig pinata

    Other Decorations

    We’ve also compiled these other whimsical, fun and festive Christmas decor ideas for you to peruse. They cover a wide range of options, and we’re sure there’s something for you here!

    stockings

     

    Oversized Paper Christmas Stars

    What did you think? We’re excited to see which Christmas decor ideas you decided to go with!

    More Inspiration

    If you had fun looking through our Christmas decor ideas, you’ll probably love our 2021 gift guides! Christmas Decorations Gift Guide, Best Gifts for Crafters, Christmas Gifts for Women, Christmas Gifts for Men, and Christmas Gifts for Kids.

    Christmas Poppers with Romy-Krystal Cutler

    Brittany
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    Christmas Poppers with Romy-Krystal Cutler

    Close up of Christmas poppers

    Christmas Poppers

    If you’re not familiar with this traditional Christmas craft, you’re in for a treat! Christmas Crackers originate from British Christmas traditions, where these individual candy-filled poppers are set at each place at the dinner table, and playfully popped open before dinner.

    These are the perfect holiday craft that can be transformed into a neat little gift package stuffed with holiday goodies. They’re small, colorful, and just the thing to brighten up the season. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to make a template, so all you have to do is download and print, and you’re ready to make this simple, eye-catching classic Christmas craft! A few years ago, we released an in-depth tutorial on making these bite-sized Christmas packages that you can find here. I should add, too, that Romy was the perfect choice to help make these delightful little bundles.

    Christmas crackers

    Introducing Romy-Krystal Cutler

    You might have noticed that this isn’t the first time we’ve featured Romy-Krystal Cutler on our blog. Last year, we invited Romy to participate in our Becoming series. If you’re interested, you can read more about it here. You can also read more about what she does on her website. It was a joy to get to know her more then, and a joy to have her back again this year! She has such a fun presence and did a phenomenal job making these little Christmas poppers. We’re excited for you to get to know her!

    Brittany and Romy

    Here’s the video of us making Christmas poppers together:

    Making Christmas Poppers with Romy-Krystal Cutler

    And now, here’s how you can make your own Christmas poppers:

    how to make Christmas poppers

    How to Make Christmas Poppers

    1. First, simply follow along with our Christmas Poppers tutorial, found here.
    2. As a note, feel free to customize and use any paper you like! Experiment with ribbon and wrapping paper combinations and see what you like best. We loved the way it turned out using our custom wrapping paper! You can find it here.

    One of my favorite things about these Christmas Poppers is how versatile they are. You can display them around your house, but you can also stuff them with goodies and gift them to your neighbors, family and friends. You can also use them to wrap your Christmas gifts, especially for small treasures, like jewelry.

    We’d love to see what you do with your Christmas poppers!

    Christmas poppers

    More Inspiration

    If you had fun with this tutorial, you’ll probably love these other Christmas crafts and traditions, too! Christmas traditions from around the world, Bottlebrush Christmas tree, DIY Custom Christmas Stockings, DIY Holiday Friendship Bracelets, and DIY Paper Honeycomb Ornaments.

    Small Business Saturday

    Brittany
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    Small Business Saturday

    Small Business Saturday

    Here are some more small businesses to support this Small Business Saturday! I’ve grouped them into categories, but most of them are women owned and led! Enjoy! Anymore I should know about? I love learning more!

    I also had to throw in a lot of our own stuff because what type of business owner would I be if I didn’t! We appreciate your support!

    Crafts/Creative/Kits to support on Small Business Saturday

    • Fabled Thread. Upscaled embroidery kits. They’re so beautiful!
    • Neon Tea Party. Marissa makes crafting fun with these great kits!
    • Creators Club. Sara has created this awesome monthly subscription to learn about art for kids!
    • Flax and Twine. Anne has taken arm knitting and weaving to the next level. Her kits are so good!
    • Purl soho. The golden standard of kits!
    • Sweet Red Poppy. Kim has some awesome sewing and Cricut classes!
    • The Crafted Life. Rachel has curated the most colorful crafting supplies!
    • Yayday Paper. Amber of Damask Love has a crafting subscription that looks super fun!
    • Elle Cree. Paint by number kits! I had so much fun doing mine!

     

    Artists/Illustrators to support on Small Business Saturday

    Ok! Now for artists and illustrators who are in our Lars Print Shop but also have their own shops! They create their own worlds and I love seeing how they do it!

    Floral prints by Chaunte Vaughn on a mint green wall

    Poppy I print by Rachel Smith

    Iris Apfel June Book Club Artwork

    • Yas Imura has a beautiful print in our shop!
    • Helen Dealtry creates the most unreal florals! We even have some of her designs on stickers in our shop!
    • Samantha Hahn is a wonderful letter artist who opened up a shop of rainbows called Maison Rainbow! We have one in our shop!
    • Merrilee Liddiard sells the most beautiful handmade dolls as well as printables. She’s an incredible artist! We have a Frida Kahlo print of hers in our shop.
    • Angie Stalker. Her works bring FUN into our shop!
    • Yelena Brysksenkova was one of the first artists I heard of when blogs became a thing. She has an Etsy shop where she sell her items but we also have some awesome things of hers!
    • Jessie Kanelos Weiner is a talened watercolor artist who has some wonderful things in our shop. She also has a new calendar out with Rizzoli!
    • Jessyca Gomes. I love the style of this Brazilian artist. She has the cutest children’s prints in our shop!
    • Jacqueline Colley has some awesome Christmas prints in our shop!

    Phew! That was an epic list!

    Utah based small businesses

    You may or may not know that Utah has a ton of businesses that you’re probably familiar with and if not, get to know them! Here are a few of my favorites!

    • Heirloom curates the most beautiful items with soul!
    • Harmony. Anything bright and colorful for making projects, go here!
    • Gathre
    • Chatbooks
    • Hello Maypole curates fun colorful felt balls!
    • Mochi is a fun kid’s shop that just opened up a brick and mortar in SLC
    • Mabo just released a collab with Gathre that’s perfection!
    • Koo de Ker has a perfectly curated collection of womens wear.
    • Nena and Co is ethically made handbags. I love everything they stand for!

    Splurges

    lewis home

    Children’s Shops to support on Small Business Saturday

    • Lewis Home. Organic basics for kids–I could live in their stuff forever if I could!
    • Winter Water Factory. Organic basics for kids with a focus on prints. We’ve done a few collaborations with them!
    • Raduga Grez has THE BEST children’s toys. They’re art.
    • Pehr has some of my favorite clothes for my boys!
    • La Coqueta has dreamy children’s wear
    • Oeuf’s winter collection right now is a dream!
    • Tubby Todd

    I can’t believe we made it through that! Are you still here? Happy shopping! 

    Paper Snowflakes

    Brittany
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    Paper Snowflakes

    Paper snowflakes

    I know making paper snowflakes can be intimidating at times. I’ve definitely felt that creative block of not knowing where to start to make the perfect snowflake design. It’s tricky, so we’ve designed four beautiful and unique snowflake templates to help you get over that hurdle (you can find them here). Are you ready? Here’s how to make the perfect paper snowflake with your trusty Fiskars scissors.

    Step photos

    Prepping the paper

    1. First, fold the paper diagonally to make a triangle (when unfolded, your paper is now a perfect square). Then cut off the excess.
    2. Fold the paper diagonally again, making sure to line up the corners with precision. The more precise you are, the easier cutting the snowflakes will be!
    3. Now fold your paper into thirds, using the bottom corner as a reference point. Tip: I like to fold the first side a bit smaller than an exact third because it allows the top to fold down evenly against the side.
    4. There will be two triangles at the top of your folded snowflake. Cut them off and you’re ready to go!

     

    Tracing your snowflake template

    Now you’re ready for your template.

    1. Print off your templates (found here). Using your Fiskars scissors, cut them out as precisely as possible. Using cardstock or something that’s a bit thicker can be helpful, since you’ll probably be using these templates to trace multiple snowflakes.

    Note: I love Fiskars scissors because they’re smooth, sharp, and cut precisely. They’re also durable. I can say from experience that not all scissors are created equal, and Fiskars are definitely at the top of my list, especially when trying to cut through multiple layers of paper, as with these snowflakes.

     

    2. Now, lay the cut-out template on the folded paper. Take your pencil (it’s much easier if it’s sharp) and trace the template as precisely as you can. Precision each step of the way helps to make the end product more symmetrical, so do your best.

    Cutting out your snowflake

    Once your template is traced, you’re ready to start cutting!

    cutting the snowflakes

    1. Taking your Fiskars scissors, carefully cut out your snowflake along the tracing lines. Since there are multiple layers of paper, it can be easy to slip and cut too much, so take care.
    2. When you’re done cutting, you’re ready to unfold your snowflake.
    3. Unfold your snowflake. Careful here, the paper sometimes sticks together, so go slowly to avoid ripping your beautiful masterpiece.
    4. Take a minute to step back and admire your handiwork!

    single snowflakes

    Oo la la!

    String these paper snowflakes together and hang them in a window, mantlepiece, or simply tape them up and scatter them around the house for a little holiday cheer. They are so versatile and easy! It’s the perfect activity for friends or family anytime you’re wanting to stay inside and keep warm while also doing something festive.

    snowflake

    More inspiration

    Loved this tutorial? Here’s a list of simple DIY crafts you can make using the Original Orange-handled Fiskars scissors: Thanksgiving Tablescape printable, Retro ornaments printable, New Years crowns printable, and Nativity cookie box printable.

    This post is sponsored by Fiskars. We love the brands who support us and allow us to continue to make beautiful content for you! 

    DIY Valentine Gift Box for Galentine’s Day

    Brittany
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    DIY Valentine Gift Box for Galentine’s Day

     

    DIY Valentine Gift Box

    If you loved our Valentine Tassel Heart Favor Box, you’ll also love this DIY Valentine Gift Box that is just as endearing. A custom Valentine’s day gift box is a sure way to elevate a simple Valentine’s day gram.

    And these ones are punny of course! Include one of these printable cards to tell your valentine, gal pals, or any loved one that you care. Leave one on your neighbor’s doorstep, mail some to your friends, or make a few with your children to share with their friends. They definitely work for anyone, but I am especially excited to use mine for Galentine’s Day.

    Gather all the pink and red craft supplies you can, and make them together at your Galentine’s Day party! Because isn’t that how that saying goes? “Friends who craft together stay together”… right?

    The printable card phrases include:

    “Love your Face” and “You bring a smile to my face!”

    How To Make Your DIY Valentine Gift Box

    Supplies:

    DIY Valentine Gift Box for Galentine's Day

    Instructions:

    1. Download the template (either for cutting machine or to cut by hand)
    2. If by hand, use a self-healing mat and your craft blade and scissors to cut the pieces out by hand
    3. If using a craft cutting machine, upload the SVG files. You’ll need a fine blade and scoring wheel to make the incisions and score lines.
    4. There are three pieces to the box–the top face, the top box, the bottom box. To make the top of the box, fold down your scored lines carefully.
    5. Apply glue to the tabs with a paintbrush (will make it smoother when it dries). Our glue dried rather fast so we did a few tabs at a time and then pressed them down individually.
    6. Repeat to the bottom of the box.
    7. Once your round box shape is complete, add some bling! We used pom-poms, jewels, and glitter glue to customize ours.
    8. Print off the Valentine cards to insert into your gift box along with some treats!

    DIY Valentine Gift Box for Galentine's Day

    That’s it! Send a box or deliver them yourself, and make it a tradition so your friends can look forward to them each year when Galentine’s Day rolls around. Don’t forget to take a picture and use the hashtag #LarsLovesLove to show us what you made!

    More Projects to Create Together for Galentine’s Day

     

    DIY Valentine Fruit Piñatas

    Brittany
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    DIY Valentine Fruit Piñatas

    DIY Valentine Pinata from The House That Lars Built

    DIY Valentine Piñatas in Fun Fruit Shapes

    I’m thinking that these guys would be great to leave at a door for a friend or even send in the mail. And then match up the fruit with candies of the same flavor–can you imagine?! So cute! You can choose from an orange (orange you glad we’re friends?), peach “you’re a peach!”, a strawberry “you’re berry special”, a pear “you’re pearfect”, and a honeydew melon “HoneyDEW you want me to be your Valentine?”.

    + Printable Fruit Sticker Valentines

    Complete your DIY Valentine Fruit Piñatas with these printable fruit stickers! Just download the file here and print them out on sticker paper. It’s just the touch your special someone will love.

    DIY Valentine Pinata from The House That Lars Built

    How to Make Your Own DIY Valentine Fruit Piñatas

    Supplies:

    DIY Fruit Pinata from The House That Lars Built

    Instructions:

    1. Use our templates to trace the shape of the fruit onto cardboard. You’ll need two shapes per cardboard.
    2. Cut 1.5″ strips going against the grain of the cardboard for the sides of the fruit shapes. Glue or tape them onto the fruit shape.
    3. Cut 3/4″ fringe of crepe paper or tissue paper.
    4. Apply the fringe to the bottom of the fruit and then work your way up to the top of the fruit.
    5. STEM: Add on a stem by rolling a piece of tissue or paper around in a circle. Glue in place.
    6. LEAF: Cut a leaf out of paper or crepe paper and glue in place.
    7. Top it all off with one of our adorable fruit stickers (you can find them here).

    DIY Valentine Pinata from The House That Lars Built

    Other DIY Valentines

    A Valentine with a handmade touch is the best way to show your crush, your gal pals, or your loved ones you really care. Check out our Valentine’s Day archives for more DIY ideas for the crafty Secret Admirer, or click any of the photos below.

     

    Printable Cookie Box with Arlo’s Cookies

    Brittany
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    Printable Cookie Box with Arlo’s Cookies

    These Christmas cookies might (might!) be too pretty to eat! I mean, can you even tell that they’re cookies?! Arlo’s Cookies is the BEST! She has an awesome holiday workshop happening right now. You can also find her Guide to Mixing Colors here. If I wasn’t such an inept baker, I’d be right there with you!

    We did a adorable Valentine’s Gift Box collaboration with Arlo’s back in February (doesn’t that seem like years ago?!).

    This year we are making a set of cookies inspired by our DIY mid-century nativity. We’re even launching a printable gift box to match the cookies which folds into a house shape. You can safely deliver these to your neighbor’s porches and spread some Christmas cheer!

    Printable Christmas Nativity Cookie Box

    This cookie box is awaiting to be made. Here’s how to do it!

    Materials:

    See above (the printable you can find here)

    Instructions:

    1. Cut out the template
    2. Cut in between the two pitched lines at the top of the house (see second photo on right. There’s a solid line indicating where that is).
    3. Start scoring all the dotted lines.
    4. Once the lines are scored, fold back all the lines.
    5. Start gluing the tabs to the walls.
    6. You can either glue the tops of the pitched gables in place or secure with a light double sided stick tape so that it can be opened by the receiver.

    Optional: Use a hole punch at the top for the tabs and secure with a ribbon!

    Head on over to our Shop to see more cute printables and templates!

    If you liked this project, you might like the following

    Make your own Holiday Nesting Dolls
    DIY Bottlebrush Christmas Trees
    Printable Santa Lucia crown

    This project was done in collaboration with Arlo’s Cookies,

    DIY Paper Honeycomb Ornaments

    Brittany
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    3
    DIY Paper Honeycomb Ornaments

    We love the mid-century modern vibe of paper ornaments, and the jewel-toned colors complement any Christmas tree. We especially like that they’re non-breakable—if you have a toddler in your house, you understand.

    Plus everyone loves a handmade ornament. They are sweet and sentimental, just like Christmas should be. Though these DIY paper ornaments are quite the level up from popsicle stick reindeers and laminated school photos, ha!

    How to Make your DIY Paper Honeycomb Ornaments

    These DIY paper honeycomb ornaments are easy to make, you’ll get the hang of it super quick. And like all of our paper crafts, you can reuse them next year! Just make sure to store them in a box where they won’t get crushed by heavier objects.

    Materials:

    DIY paper honeycomb ornaments

    Instructions:

    Read all instructions before beginning your project!
    1. Download our ornament templates here
    2. Use your cutting machine or scissors to cut out 66 pieces for each ornament.
    3. Once all of your pieces are cut, you will start glueing them together.
    4. Carefully place 2 thin lines of super glue separate from each other, and perpendicular to the flat edge of the shape. Take care not to spread the glue anywhere else. Your line of glue does not need to go all the way to both edges of the paper, start and end in a little bit to avoid glue spilling over the edges.
    5. Place the next shape on top of the one with glue, carefully lining up all the edges.
    6. On top of this new piece, carefully place one line a super glue, in the middle of where you placed the 2 lines on the last piece.
    7. Place a next pieces on top of top of that, again aligning all edges.
    8. Repeat steps 4-7, alternating between 1 line of glue and 2 until all of your cut shapes are stacked on top of each other.
    9. Now you will seal the flat edges of your ornaments shapes together using bookbinding glue or any other flexible glue.
    10. While holding the shapes together tightly, use a small paintbrush with a flat edge to spread flexible glue along the entire flat edge of your stack of paper shapes.
    11. Before the flexible glue has dried, use it to attach a ribbon to the flat edge, on the side you want as the top of your ornament. This is what you will use to hang it up later.
    12. Let your work sit until all of the glue is completely dry. Now it is time to open your ornament!
    13. Starting at one side, start to carefully open the individual shapes in your stack, carefully unsticking any edges where the super glue might have spilled over if needed.
    14. Your paper shapes should open up to form your ornament, meeting on the opposite side. You’ll see the ribbon is now tucked in in the center of the ornament.
    15. Carefully align and glue together the 2 sides that meet when the ornament is open. Ta da!

    Extra Tips

    Here are some extra notes that will help you avoid mistakes your first time around!

    If you are having a hard time opening your ornaments that is most likely because glue spilled over the edges and is in places it shouldn’t be. That is why it is important to take care to make your lines of super glue as thin and straight as possible. And avoid glueing all the way to the edge of your paper. Just take your time!

    You may experiment with where you place your lines of glue to achieve different end looks – as long as you use the same pattern for one entire ornament. These lines of glue effect where the “honeycomb” effect shows up on finished ornaments. For all of the shapes included in our templates, I still used 2 lines of glue alternating with 1 line between them.

    DIY paper honeycomb ornaments

    More Paper Ornament Ideas

    Need more DIY ornament ideas? Check out our tutorial for printable retro ornaments, paper candle ornaments, or a head to toe Swedish Christmas tree.

    If you’re not in the mood for a DIY, browse through our whimsical Christmas ornament selection, introduced in this post from a few weeks ago.

    Paper Ornaments Available For Purchase

     

    Printable Trick or Treat Coupons for Sugar-Free Fun

    Brittany
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    0
    Printable Trick or Treat Coupons for Sugar-Free Fun

    Printable Trick or Treat Coupons

    I remember all the different tactics my own mother tried to make our Halloween candy pile a little shorter. One year, she limited the amount of candy pieces we could gather, while I lamented that the older neighborhood kids were coming to the door with their PILLOW CASES to fill to the brim. The plastic trick or treat pumpkins just didn’t cut it for me after that.

    These trick or treat coupons were honestly created to be the perfect solution. Print off your coupons using your home printer, cut them out, and let your kid’s trade for them! Each coupon lists how many candies must be traded for an exciting (and sugar-free) activity with the family. It will become a fun game for kids to weigh their options – are these 3 reese’s worth a movie night? What about 4 snickers for some extra games before bedtime? Hopefully the answer is yes!

    Printable Halloween Treat Poppers

    This year, it sounds like quite a few people will be trading their big bowl of candy for fewer individually packaged treats. This way close neighborhood kids can trick or treat safely, and you can switch off your porch lights and close up shop earlier than ever – a win-win! I’m opting for this route this year, and going for quality over quantity for my Halloween treats. I plan on filling a few of these printable halloween poppers with some extra great (and totally sanitary) goodies and saving them for Jasper’s favorite friends who come knocking on the door!

    How to put your printable poppers together

    Materials: 

    Directions: 

    1. Print out your popper patterns.
    2. Cut out your pattern with an exact knife of scissors.
    3. Use a scoring tool to score the lines that will be folded.
    4. Cut out your popping piece.
    5. Fold your 2″ rectangle into thirds.
    6. With the two halves of your popping pieces you will need to glue them to the 2″ rectangle in the middle fold, be sure to leave a small space between the two strips of paper.
    7.  Take your popper template and choose which flap you would like to attach your popper to.
    8. Gently push your popper template edges in so you create a mountain piece at each end to mimic what it will be like all folded and use the popper piece to mark the spot where it should be places. That will be the distance apart that you need to make your poppers be placed.
    9. Glue your popping piece to the popper template at the measured spot from the previous step on both sides of the popper.
    10. Place all of your goodies in the popper.
    11. Roll the folded layers to create the final shape of the popper.
    12. Your first tab and last tab will overlap.
    13. tie ribbons around the end to secure it closed

    These printable poppers have saved the day quite a few holidays in a row now, when I was putting together last-minute gifts for friends and neighbors. Like last December, I felt like quite the Christmas Elf filling our Christmas poppers with peppermint treats and leaving them secretly on doorsteps. You can find photo step instructions for making your poppers in that post! And our Valentine’s Day version definitely helped me spread the love.

    But of course, we HAD to make a Halloween version! Plus, these Halloween poppers were made to match out full printable party suite!

    Check out our other ideas for a socially distanced Halloween here!

    DIY Dried Flower Pumpkins

    Brittany
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    1
    DIY Dried Flower Pumpkins

    Today we’re bringing you a DIY fall project with dried flowers, but this one is a little different than our DIY Rainbow Pumpkins we posted last month. However, both projects could be left up year-round to add a little charm and cheer to your front porch.

    I love our pumpkin projects because they involve no carving. That’s right, no scraping the inside of a pumpkin for hours until your arm gets numb. No sifting through pumpkin goop to get out the seeds for roasting. And no more planning out an elaborate design, only to accidentally cut off a huge piece of pumpkin and ruining the whole thing! I’m really making a case for a no-carving Halloween, aren’t I? Well it turns out, there are other ways to dress up pumpkins, and I’d argue they let you be even more creative than a carving set!

    Unlike our colorful painted gourds, this pumpkin DIY relies on natural adornments—preserved flowers, to be precise! You don’t need a perfectly round pumpkin for this DIY fall project with dried flowers. In fact, you could even dress up some acorn or butternut squash if that’s what you have on hand. How gorgeous would these pumpkins be as a Thanksgiving table centerpiece?

    Even though we’re using preserved flowers for this project, that doesn’t mean the colors have to be tone down. You know which blog this is, right? Bring on the brightness! Choose jewel toned flowers that hold onto their hues after drying, like dried globe amaranth or strawflowers. How perfect is the name “strawflower”?! It evokes those beautiful red berries we all know and love and the “straw” makes me think of fall harvest.

    Here are some of our favorite preserved and dried flowers from around the web!

    DIY Fall project with dried flowers and pumpkins!

    Materials:

    See above!

    Instructions:

    1. Pick out your flowers (we got ours from Terrain) and pumpkins. We went with a monochromatic scheme because…elegance!
    2. Plan your pattern.
    3. Start gluing! Use extra glue to make sure they stay on!

    That’s it!

    It’s really an easy project, but you can get super intricate with the design and style of the pumpkin. Again, how lovely would it be as a wedding centerpiece. I’m definitely showing these off ASAP!

    Yes, summer is over, and it’s taking the beautiful flowers with it, but don’t fret! This DIY will help you preserve the colorful blooms all through the fall season.

    Thank you Terrain for providing the beautiful preserved flowers! You can shop their collection here. 

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