valentine's day Archives

All Our Paper Flower Tutorials

Brittany

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May 11, 2022

Blooms for Bouquets

There are so many things you can do with paper flowers, but you need to make them first! Mix and match these flowers for bouquets or let them stand alone. Either way, you can’t go wrong!

Find paper flower tutorials here: Sunflowers, Parrot Tulips, Peonies, Poppies, Morning Glory, Hydrangeas, Eden Rose, Daffodil, Paper Flower Bells, and Narcissus.

Lots of flowers have stamens, and here you can make your own floral stamens for paper flowers.

Bouquets

I’m a big fan of paper wedding bouquets because they are long-lasting reminders of your big day. There’s no wilting here! I have loved making paper flower tutorials for all these bouquets.

Find tutorials here: Spring Wedding Bouquet, White Peony Bouquet, Royal Wedding Inspired Bouquet, and Cinco de Mayo Inspired Bouquet.

Paper Flower Accessories

Flowers add delicacy and magic to your fanciest events, but I’m all for wearing them in between big parties, too! These paper flower crowns and this corsage will have you searching for events because they’re so fun to wear! You can find paper flower tutorials for the accessories below.

Find tutorials here: Shamrock Flowe r Crown, Paper Flower Bridal Hairpiece, Flower Girl Crown, Spring Paper Flower Crown, Paper Flower Corsage, Paper Flower Graduation Tassel, and Paper Poppy Pin.

Home Decor Flowers

Wreaths

When I started adding paper flower wreaths to my doors, I made a huge discovery. Coming home to something beautiful makes a big difference! So add paper flower wreaths to your doors and start feeling OVERJOYED when you get to your home. I promise, it works for me!

Wreath tutorials here: Daffodil Wreath, Lemon and Blossom Wreath, Wallpaper Floral Wreath, Rainbow Flower Wreath, Paper Poinsettia Wreath, Palm Leaf Wreath and Pink Paper Blossom Wreath.

Chandeliers and Mobiles

I absolutely love what chandeliers and mobiles do to fill the empty space in a room. And come on, they look adorable. So do yourself a favor and hang one over your new baby’s crib! It will surely give you and baby some much needed delight amidst the lack of sleep.

Mobile tutorials here: Paper Maidenhair Fern Mobile, Paper Flower Chandelier, Scandinavian Paper Mobile and Midsummer Dala Horse Mobile.

Centerpieces

Another way I love to incorporate flowers is through centerpieces. Because isn’t having company over the perfect excuse to make something with paper flowers?

Centerpiece tutorials here: Paper Flower Branch Candelabra, Spring Tulip Centerpiece, Rainbow Paper Flower Tablescape

Potted Paper Flowers

I love me a good potted paper plant. These little beauties are the perfect addition to any room, so what are you waiting for?

Find tutorials here: Paper Orchids, Paper Foxgloves, Easter Lily, Christmas Cactus, Medinilla Plant, Pansies, Hollyhocks, Paper Flower Bells and more Paper House Plants.

Parties!

Cakes

Another impeccable excuse to incorporate some flowers, do yourself (and your guests) a favor! If I had to guess, I’d say these flower-centric party decorations will do the trick perfectly.

Cake topper tutorials here: Floral Number Birthday Cake Topper, Paper Flower and Kumquat Cake Decoration, Midsummer Pole Cake Topper and 3D Paper Flower Gift Toppers.

Backdrops

Backdrop tutorials here: Crepe Paper Peony Backdrop, Tropical Leaf and Hibiscus Backdrop, Paper Daisy Backdrop, Paper Tulip Backdrop and Paper Poppy Backdrop.

Garlands

Isn’t spring the perfect time for a floral garland? Well, for your convenience, we have some lovely options that transition right into summer, too!

Garland tutorials here: Paper Flower Garland and Summer Flower Garland.

And don’t forget this Daisy Party Hat tutorial!

Holiday

Holidays are the perfect time to get making a few flower-centric decorations. To help you out, here are our favorites:

Valentines Day

Wear this Valentine Flower Wreath on your head or decorate your door with it. Either way, you’ll be feeling festive and ready for the spring blooms that will pop up not too long after Valentines Day with this wreath!

Halloween

Chrysanthemum Mom and Kid Costume

Hannukah

Paper Flower Menorah

Christmas

This Christmas you can make holly large or small, as well as these really exciting poinsettia blooms.

Poinsettia, Crepe Paper Holly, Giant Paper Holly Decoration and Amaryllis.

More From Our Shop!

Find more floral Lars materials on our shop. Here’s our Flowers Coloring Book, this sticker sheet, a whole collection of floral art prints, and more!

Our Learn To Draw Flowers Course

And don’t forget about our learn to draw flowers course! It’s the perfect companion piece to all these paper flower tutorials. And the great thing is, if you don’t have all the materials handy to make the tutorials right now, you can learn to draw them first! By the time your materials come in the mail, you’ll be a pro at drawing flowers and will be all ready to start making them.

Three Ways to Fold Love Letters

Brittany

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February 11, 2022

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Three Ways to Fold Love Letters

Remember that with all of these instructions, it’s much easier to reference our video. I’m a visual learner! If I can see it, the written instructions make more sense.

Origami Heart

We couldn’t show you how to fold love letters without giving you a heart option. That being said, here’s the first of our three ways to fold love letters:

Take a corner of the paper and fold it diagonally to the opposite side. You should see a triangle with an exposed strip of paper on one end.
Unfold and repeat the first step on the other corner on the same end of the paper. Unfold everything and you’ll see a folded “X” on one end, and a narrow rectangle on the other.
Next, fold the paper at the point where the two fold lines intersect, hamburger style. Unfold.
Now you have the folds prepped. Flip the paper over and fold the paper along the folds. It will naturally want to dip in on the two sides. Gently push the two sides into the center. You’ll end up with a triangle shape with the two other sides folded neatly under. Note that there’s still a rectangle poking out at the bottom.
Next, take the top layer of the triangle and fold the flap on the right over to the other side. Unfold and repeat for the other flap. You’ll end up with a nice seam in the middle of the triangle.
Now, take the right point and fold it up to the top point. Repeat for the left point.
The next thing to do is take both outside edges and fold them into the center.
At this point, flip the paper half and fold the top flaps in half. Flip it back over and fold the bottom up until it meets the bottom point of the folded diamond section.
Flip it back over now and fold both bottom points into the center.
Now, take the top flap of the diamond and fold it down.
You should have two pointed tips poking up from the top at this point. Fold them down, angling them out slightly, and tuck them under the fold that they’re on top of.
Flip it over and you’ll see the final shape of your heart!

Hexagon

The second of our three ways to fold love letters is pretty simple. Here’s how:

First, fold your paper in half lengthwise, or hotdog style.
Unfold, and fold both edges back into the center line you just folded.
Now unfold one of the edges back out. You should still have one edge folded into the center.
On that folded side, take the top corner and fold it down until the corner meets the edge that’s folded into the center.
Now fold the top left corner down to the same point you folded the other edge to, making sure the folded edge meets that intersecting point.
Keep working your way around the paper, with the next consecutive point folding into the center point.
On the next fold, take the entire section of unfolded paper and fold it according to the pattern.
Continue the pattern and fold another time.
Now you should have a little lip of paper left over. Tuck this into the first fold of the hexagon and you’re done!

Pull-Tab Envelope

The last of our three ways to fold love letters is an origami envelope. It’s a classic, and makes for a sweet little package to unfold. Here’s how to make it:

For this way to fold love letters, fold the paper hot dog style again, then unfold.
Now, on the narrow edge, fold in the two corresponding corners so they meet in the middle. Do the same thing on the other side. It will now look like your paper has two triangles on each end.
Next, take both outside edges on the long side of the paper and fold them into the center line.
The next step is to take each end point and fold them neatly into the little triangles that were formed with the last folds you made.
At this point, flip the paper over and write your love letter on the back (the side with no exposed paper edges).
Now, fold the paper in thirds to hide the love letter.
At this point there should be two nice little triangle pockets to slide in the corners of the top flap you folded over.
Done! To open, simple pull on the little pull tab that appeared with the folds.

More Inspiration

Loved this tutorial with three ways to fold love letters? Check out this post, which is full of DIY crafts that are appropriate for the love day. And don’t forget about our sweet little DIY painted valentine box–you’ll need something to put your valentines in, too. Bonus: you can help your kids make their own and they can bring one to school. If you’re wanting a quick valentine that’s also cute, check out this post and our shop. We have endless options of adorable printable valentines! Need gift ideas? Try our valentines gift guides for men and women. And if you want ideas of what to do on Valentine’s Day, here are some Valentine’s Day activity ideas to get you started. Last but not least: try our paper heart wreath!

Valentine’s Day Garland

Brittany

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February 10, 2022

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Valentine’s Day Garland

What better to bring in love day than a festive Valentine’s Day garland? Not much, in my opinion. It also goes perfectly with that festive gradient heart wreath we made a week ago! So do yourself a favor and take the decorating beyond your front door. Featuring a variety of Valentine’s Day appropriate shapes and fun pops of color, this garland is the perfect solution for cold, brown February.

How to Make Your Own Valentine’s Day Garland

Making this Valentine’s Day garland is seriously so simple. I mean, you don’t even need scissors if you have a Cricut maker! And if not, the shapes are simple enough that scissors are a good second best option. You do need a sewing machine, though it’s simple enough that even the most novice of sewers should be able to handle it.

Here’s how to make your own Valentine’d Day garland:

Prepping the Paper

First, download the garland template found here.
Upload the template into the Cricut design space.
Now, using the paper colors of your choice, cut out the shapes using your Cricut maker. For thicker cardstock, we find it works best to use the glitter cardstock setting. We used anywhere from 50-80 shapes on each strand.

Sewing Your Garland Together

This part is so easy! To start, just leave a 10″ tail of thread, then sew the paper pieces together.
Leave a 10″ tail of thread at the end.
Repeat steps 1-2 for each shape in your garland.
All done!

How to Style Your Valentine’s Day Garland

One of the things I love about this sweet garland is how versatile it is! You can hang it from practically anywhere, and customize how long you’d like it to be. Put it in a window, against a wall, over the table, along a mantle or a bannister. We love the way it looks hanging from the ceiling over a table setting! It’s so simple, but looks so bold, bright and colorful once its hung. It’s the perfect addition to a Galentine’s Day party, too, if you ask me. Just add some table games and party favors to your table and you’re all set!

More Inspiration

Remember, if you want even more ideas of how to host a Galentine’s Day party, consult our Valentine’s Day Activities post! Speaking of ideas, if you need DIY valentines crafts, check out these easy DIY valentines, this adorable valentine box, or this paper heart wreath. Need valentines? We just released some brand new Harry Styles ones, along with these delicate doilies. And here’s a whole host of printable valentines from our shop! Oh, and here are two Valentine’s Day gift guides, one for men and one for women.

How To Host a Galentine’s Day Party

Brittany

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February 9, 2022

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How To Host a Galentine’s Day Party

A few weeks ago, we wrote this post on Valentine’s Day Activities. We included some fun ideas for Galentine’s Day, too! But we couldn’t let Galentine’s Day come and go without some more details on how to host a Galentine’s Day party. More specifically, here’s how to host a Galentine’s Day party with Arlos cookies!

Arlos Cookies

As you may be aware, this isn’t the first time we’ve partnered up with Arlos Cookies. In fact, if you want to learn more about the founder, Luna Ellis, read this post! Luna’s helped make some fantastic projects happen, like these cookies inspired by our printable cookie boxes. We also partnered up to make these Valentines Gift Boxes featuring lovely, matching cookies. Well this year we get to feature her lovely cookies with some of our own printables that are perfect for hosting your Galentine’s Day party!

Galentine’s Day Table Games

The perfect way to host a Galentine’s Day party is with some table games. We have some very cute, Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day themed versions of a variety of games, including bingo, would you rather, and tic tac toe. All you have to do to make the magic happen at your own Galentine’s Day party is print them off, then find some cookies! We, of course, used Arlos. And can you believe it?! Luna made us the cutest little x’s and o’s you’ve ever seen for our tic tac toe board. They even match! We also took it upon ourselves to go ahead and use the cookies as markers for the other table games, and they worked splendidly. So wondering how to really wow your guests this Galentine’s Day? Printable table games with Arlos cookies!

Conversation Heart Cookie Boxes

Now, it wouldn’t be right to tell you how to host a Galentine’s Day party without party favors. And we were just thrilled to be able to use Arlos cookies yet again to fulfil that need! A few years back, we made some conversation heart cookie boxes. Arlos made some sweet little cookies to go inside! We’re in love. These little boxes are the perfect little packages to send home with your guests. Something cute and tastes good? Yes please!

More Inspiration

Remember, if you want even more ideas of how to host a Galentine’s Day party, consult our Valentine’s Day Activities post! Speaking of ideas, if you need DIY valentines crafts, check out these easy DIY valentines, this adorable valentine box, or this paper heart wreath. Need valentines? We just released some brand new Harry Styles ones, along with these delicate doilies. And here’s a whole host of printable valentines from our shop! Oh, and here are two Valentine’s Day gift guides, one for men and one for women.

Harry Styles Valentines

Brittany

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February 8, 2022

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Harry Styles Valentines

We are ecstatic about these Harry Styles valentines. The best part is, they’re available in our shop! That means all you have to do is download, print and cut, and they’re ready to go. Oh and we wouldn’t leave you hanging without a candy option to pair with it. Fill up a little bag with sour patch watermelons and you’re all set for a Harry Styles-inspired Valentine’s Day. Be my watermelon sugar?

Harry Styles-Inspired Style

We couldn’t dedicate this post to Harry Styles without mentioning his style. I mean, come on. Harry Styles fan or not, he has undeniably good style. Those sweaters? Amazing pattern combos? Sunglasses? We’re sold. His style features iconic neons, bold color blocking and prints, plaids, a little feminine touch with the shoes and jewelry, and don’t forget those sweater vests. Oh, and did I mention those sunglasses? Transparent, bold colors and eccentric shapes are enough to leave any fangirl drooling. Thank you, Harry!

If you’re looking for a little something inspired by Harry this Valentine’s Day, we have just the thing. Here’s a great place to start:

Oh, and if you want to knit that iconic Harry Styles cardigan, JW Anderson released the knitting pattern. I mean, can you imagine???!?!?!?!!

Here’s some yarn for you to choose from:

Harry Styles Merch

Don’t worry, if you’re lacking a little Harry Styles merch to go with your valentines, step right this way. Here are some options that will leave onlookers without a doubt that you’re a true fan:

Wishing you all a very happy Harry Styles-inspired Valentine’s Day!

More Inspiration

Loved this post featuring our Harry Styles valentines and want to see more? Check out our other Valentine’s Day content! You can craft to your heart’s content with these lovely DIY valentines. Speaking of valentines, check out this post and our shop for endless options of adorable printable valentines. Need a box to put your valentines in? Our DIY painted valentine box is a spectacular option that doubles as a tissue box when you’re done with valentines. Oh, and if you’re looking for gifts for that special someone, you’ll definitely want to check out our Valentine’s Day gift guides for men and women. And here are some great Valentine’s Day activities!

Doily Valentine

Brittany

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February 7, 2022

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Doily Valentines

It seems like the tradition of doilies for Valentine’s Day has been around forever. It might be that they seem to be everywhere at this time of year. Or maybe it’s just that they’re just so lovely. Either way, we decided to accept the challenge and make our own version! Now, I have to give credit where credit is due. One of our talented interns, Chelsea, tackled this project and I have to say she did a spectacular job! The perfect blend of delicate and unique, these are a breath of fresh air from your traditional, mass-produced doily.

With the custom designs featuring floral motifs, these doilies are full of delicate whimsy. Add in the subtle hearts and intricate flourishes and it’s hard not to be convinced. Are you ready to learn how to make your own?

How to Make a Doily Valentine

First, upload your svg doily file into the cricut design space.
Meanwhile, put your sheet of cardstock paper onto the adhesive cutting mat. We used yellow, silver, pink, orange, and teal.
Next, select heavy cardstock paper type (this generally does a better job cutting through a regular weight cardstock).
Press go and wait for the cricut maker to finish cutting the design!
When the design has finished, gently pull it up from the adhesive mat. Make sure to go slow enough so it doesn’t rip. Use a scraper tool to remove the small paper pieces from the mat once the main sheet of paper is removed.
Now, simply repeat the process until you’ve made the amount you’d like.
You’re done! See how easy?

What To Do With Your Doily Valentines

I love that these doily valentines are as versatile as they are delicate and beautiful. You can leave them plain or write a sweet note on them. But you can also place them under a vase of flowers (real or paper) or candle or use them as a decorative element and tape some fancy chocolate to them. I mean, you could really pair them with anything festive and valentine’s-related and they would add a whimsical touch of love to your gift.

What are you going to do with your doily valentines? Let us know in the comments!

More Inspiration

Did you love this tutorial on how to make your own doily valentine? Well it turns out we have quite a few valentine’s-related posts that might be right up your alley! Interested in more DIY valentine crafts? Check out this post, which is full of DIY crafts that are appropriate for the love day. And don’t forget about our sweet little DIY painted valentine box–you’ll need something to put your valentines in, too. Bonus: you can help your kids make their own and they can bring one to school. If you’re wanting a quick valentine that’s also cute, check out this post and our shop. We have endless options of adorable printable valentines! Need gift ideas? Try our valentines gift guides for men and women. And if you want ideas of what to do on Valentine’s Day, here are some Valentine’s Day activity ideas to get you started.

DIY Paper Heart Wreath

Brittany

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January 31, 2022

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DIY Paper Heart Wreath

To me, Valentine’s Day demands decorations that are beautiful and easy to make at the same time. We’re all back from the holidays, which means we don’t have as much down time as the blessed Christmas break gave us. This DIY paper accordion wreath is the perfect solution! Made with custom gradients that fold into hearts, it’s straightforward to make and the result is a lovely wreath of accordion gradients to get you in the mood for love day. I know I get so tired of seeing all the shades of brown, so this wreath is a breath of fresh air. Gentle pinks to welcome me in after a long day? Yes please! If you’re like me, tired of looking at all that brown outside, try this adorable wreath for a change.

How to Make a DIY Paper Heart Wreath

Without further ado, here’s how to make your very own DIY paper heart wreath.

Prepping the Hearts

First, print off three copies of the pdf of our paper heart gradient printable found here. You should end up with 45 pieces of paper, each with a different gradient on it.
Next, cut out each gradient.
Start with one of the flat edges of the gradient and fold a thin strip in along the flat edge, roughly 1/4 inch wide.
Continue stacking the folds back and forth, making an accordion fold as you go.
Keep going until you reach the other flat edge. You should now have a long, thin strip of paper about a 1/4 inch wide.
Now, fold the stack in half.
To complete your heart, hot glue the center together along the flat edge.
When the glue is dry, pull the paper gently apart to reveal the heart shape.

Prepping Your Wire Wreath Form

To prep the wreath form, cut a long, narrow strip of pale pink crepe paper (about an inch thick).
Now, wrap the crepe paper around your wire wreath form, securing with hot glue as you go.
Continue until the entire wire wreath form is covered in a layer of crepe paper. Add an extra layer if you’d like it to be a little thicker.

Assembling Your DIY Paper Heart Wreath

Now you’re ready to assemble your DIY paper heart wreath!

Using your hot glue gun, place a dab of glue on each heart and press onto the crepe paper-covered wreath form.
Continue until the wreath is completely covered and as full as you’d like. For our wreath, we ended up using only 35 of the 45 hearts, but if you’d like, you can always make it a bit more full and add in all the hearts. And you can always add a fancy ribbon, like we did.
Voilà! You’re done with your beautiful DIY paper heart wreath!

Styling Your Wreath

As you probably already know from past wreaths we’ve made, you don’t have to limit your wreath decorating to the front door. Yes, any door is a great place for a wreath, but it’s not your only option. Have a blank spot of wall handy? Fill in the gap with your heart wreath! Outdoor, indoor, against a window, in an area of the house that’s a little sparse on decorations, there are so many options.

We would love to see what you do with your beautiful DIY paper heart wreath!

More Inspiration

Loved this tutorial on how to make a DIY paper heart wreath? You’ll probably love our other Valentine’s Day content! You can craft to your heart’s content with these lovely DIY valentines. Speaking of valentines, check out this post and our shop for endless options of adorable printable valentines. Need a box to put your valentines in? Our DIY painted valentine box is a spectacular option that doubles as a tissue box when you’re done with valentines. Oh, and if you’re looking for gifts for that special someone, you’ll definitely want to check out our Valentine’s Day gift guides for men and women. And here are some great Valentine’s Day activities!

Valentine’s Day Activities

Brittany

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January 28, 2022

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Galentine’s Day Activity Ideas

As you are probably aware, Galentine’s Day has a special place in our hearts. What started out as a classic Parks and Rec joke has since become an iconic tradition for women all over. And is it really that hard to see why? Everyone should be cherished and loved for who they are, whether they have a significant other or not. Galentine’s Day is a special opportunity to share the love so it’s not a glum holiday for anyone who won’t spend Valentine’s Day at a fancy restaurant, staring dreamily across the table at their significant other.

We’ve done a few different things with Galentine’s Day in the past, like this and this. We also wrote a post a few years back with lots of fun Galentine’s Day activities, which you can read more about here.

Here are a few more suggestions we’ve dreamt up since that last brainstorm post of ideas:

Craft Night

A craft night is the perfect thing to do with the gals on Galentine’s Day. It’s fun, interactive, and you get to bring home some lovely memoirs, too. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of easy DIY valentines, like our valentine face boxes, that are just the thing for a Galentine’s Day craft night. Another absolutely adorable and timeless valentine we recently made and are obsessed with are our Hand and Heart Love Tokens! You won’t regret adding them to your list of Galentine’s Day activities. Also, try wrapping a candle or chocolate bar to send home with the gals.

Speaking of making DIY valentines, why not make this sweet little valentine box to put them in?

Spa Night

We could all use one, right? Galentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to stop putting it off and actually make it happen! Here are some must-have spa items you’ll want to stock up on:

Game Night

We wouldn’t say no to a night of games with the gals. Try our printable Valentine’s Day song bingo, or our Valentine’s themed tic tac toe. Or here’s an assortment of a few different printable table games!

Party Favors

Send your ladies home with a sweet little package of party favors! Some of our favorites from the shop include these heart hair ties, ombre spiral hair ties, these wooden heart clips, valentine’s themed pins, and these adorable Valentine’s Day stickers.

And here are some other sweet little party favors to include!

Valentine’s Day Activities For Kids

We don’t want your kiddies to feel left out on Valentine’s Day. I mean, aren’t they the most precious of all? In our post where we listed Galentine’s Day activities, we also mentioned some great ideas of things to do with your kids from the team here at The House that Lars Built.

Crafts

Obviously crafts make it onto every list of activities we ever make. As with Galentine’s Day, we think this post of easy DIY valentines is great for all ages, kids and adults alike. Sit down with your little ones and help them make valentines for school with these sweet cherry tootsie pop valentines or paintbrush valentines. Then help them decorate their own valentine box!

Printables

If you’re looking for a craft that doesn’t require too much time and energy but is still perfect for Valentine’s Day for your kids, check out our little food pun valentines! Eggs, Frogs, Veggies, there’s something for every kid. Oh, and don’t forget about these cute as a button valentines or these other clever pun variations.

Games

Speaking of printables, we have some fun valentines games that are perfect for little ones available in the shop! We love these coloring placemats for a variety of ages, as well as this assortment of table games–just print them off and you’re ready to play. It includes bingo, tic tac toe, would you rather, and those sweet coloring placemats.

Write Love Letters

Encourage you kids to write little letters to those they love! Don’t worry, you don’t have to scare them off the dating scene in the 3rd grade. Have them write notes to siblings, parents, grandparents, teachers, or friends. For those who are far away, print off these little love postcards to send. And see our shop for endless options of printable valentine cards your kids can write their notes on.

Bake Together

I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed that baking always tends to be a big part of Valentine’s Day activities. Get together and make some conversation heart sugar cookies to put in these little conversation heart cookie boxes. If you’re in the mood for cupcakes, these and these are both great options for some sweet little cupcake toppers. Or, go all out and bake a Valentine’s Day cake. Complete it with this lovely cake topper! For inspiration, can you believe how intricate and delicate these beautiful cookies are?! A few years back, Arlos cookies was kind enough to collaborate with us to make the valentine cookie magic happen.

More Inspiration

Loved this post on Valentine’s Day Activities and need more valentines-related ideas? See our gift guides for men and women and get some gift ideas for your S.O. this year.

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Men

Brittany

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January 25, 2022

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Fancy Meets Functional

First on our Valentine’s Day gift guide for men is that perfect blend of fancy and functional essentials. If you ask me, these are things every man wants but rarely thinks he needs. Everyone needs a wallet, but who says it can’t be beautiful and leather? Does your S.O. travel? Gift him a shiny new duffel that doesn’t have old drink stains on it or crumbs in the pockets. A new pair of nice shoes also adds a nice touch. Since men are shorter on accessories than women, why not treat him to a new essential that has a fancy flair, like this watch? And speaking of fancy, who says men can’t wear jewelry?

An Outfit Refresher

Am I the only one who feels like if I don’t shop for my husband he won’t buy anything for himself? He would wear the same five shirts every day for 10 years if I didn’t have anything to say about it. He’ll be as happy about his new wardrobe as you’ll be, which is why this could almost be considered an essential item on our Valentine’s Day gift guide for men.

Pamper Him

Though the beauty industry heavily targets women, who says men don’t need a little pampering? So instead of him dipping into your designated creams and lotions, why not get him his very own? If he has a beard, a little beard oil or a beard grooming kit won’t go awry. And if he’s clean shaven, a new electric razor will be a godsend. A little cologne will be an unexpected surprise, too, especially if he generally doesn’t spend much money on himself. Make him feel special and taken care of!

Get Cozy

Speaking of pampering, what S.O. doesn’t need to put their feet up and relax after a long day? There’s no better way to really relax and unwind than to ditch your daytime attire and kick back with a whole host of cozy accessories. Let him slip his feet into some fluffy slippers, don a pair of brand new pjs, and snuggle up with a blanket while you both watch your favorite show.

For His Hobbies

Last on our Valentine’s Day gift guide for men is a little something for his hobbies. Give your S.O. a reason to enjoy his hobbies this year! Does he love the outdoors? Maybe his tent could do without the holes. If he’s a whiz in the kitchen, cooking or grilling supplies would be a perfect gift. Use your imagination and get him something that brings out his inner child! Chess sets, portable camping games, the list goes on.

More Inspiration

Well, ladies, if you’ve loved these ideas for hubby gifts, you may be interested in what we have to say about you. Head over to our “hint hint, hubby” gift guide to help your S.O. decide what to get you this Valentine’s Day. Love is a mutual thing, so gifts should be, too.

Hand and Heart Love Tokens

Brittany

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January 24, 2022

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A Plug for Handmade Valentines

We swooned when we saw the designs our designer, Garet, made for our hand and heart love tokens. They’re the perfect blend of classic and timeless with a modern twist. I mean the colors?! And those delicate details?! We were instantly captivated, not to mention thrilled.

One of the best things about them is the handmade quality the woven elements give them. I think we can all agree that there’s something extra meaningful about giving and receiving handmade gifts, especially ones that took some time. Ever met someone who almost instantly throws away cards for all occasions? My dad is one of them. He reads the cards, says how nice they are, then throws them straight into the trash. He’s not trying to be insensitive, he’s just practical, and they do start building up. But I would be willing to bet that if he received a valentine as lovely as one of these heart and hand love tokens, he wouldn’t be so quick to discard it. Maybe he’d even frame it.

How to Make a Hand and Heart Love Token

We’re obsessed with these oh so romantic hand and heart love tokens. We think you will be too, once you make a few for yourself. For how lovely they look, they’re almost too simple to believe it. Here’s how to do it!

Prepping the Paper

First of all, you’ll need your best friend, the handy Cricut Maker. I can’t tell you how much of a difference having one of these babies makes when attempting to cut so many meticulous lines with precision.
Using your Cricut Maker, cut out the hand and heart templates, found in our shop. See our templates for the colors of paper we used.
Once the pieces are cut out, you may need to use your craft knife to pop the paper pieces out and touch up the cutting job, if your paper is a bit thicker.

As a note, the green and yellow hearts are meant to be mixed and matched. The pink and red hands both have wrist inserts that can also be switched.

Weaving the Hearts

Now you’re ready to weave your heart and hand love tokens together! Make sure to reference our step photos, as visualizing can help with the weaving.

First, we’ll explain how to weave the heart into the hand. To do this, position the heart so the point is towards the bottom of the hand and the cuts are going opposite directions.
Now, starting from the bottom, poke the points that face down (the heart) in behind the points that face up (the hand). Gently ease them down as far as you can without ripping the paper.
Once they’re in place, you’re ready to weave the points down the opposite direction.
To do this, gently tuck the hand’s points in behind the heart’s points, so you get a neat little diamond with each tuck.
It’s secure, now, and should stay in place. You’re done weaving the heart!

Weaving the Wrists

To weave the checkerboard wrist pattern, take the first narrow strip of paper and weave over and under the strips on the hand’s wrist.
With the next strip, alternate, starting over if you started under with the first, and vice versa.
When starting each new strip, alternate the weaving so you get a nice checkerboard pattern.
For the woven heart wrist, simply use the same technique as for the checkerboard, but just do it once.

Your hand and heart love tokens are complete!

More Inspiration

If you loved this tutorial on how to make your own hand and heart love tokens, we’re guessing you’re in the mood for more Valentine’s Day content. Here’s a lovely little painted valentine box you can make to put your own valentines in. If you want more valentine ideas to give, we have a whole host of lovely valentines designed by some of our favorite Lars print shop artists. Want some valentines you can make yourself for love day? Try these easy DIY valentines. Or are you here looking for Valentine’s Day gift ideas for your significant other? Then head to our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide for Women, and stay tuned for our Valentine’s Day gift guide for men.

Hint Hint Hubby: Valentine’s Day Gifts 2022

Brittany

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January 21, 2022

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Hint Hint Hubby: Valentine’s Day Gifts 2022

Something Fancy

A classic Valentine’s day gift and one that will hardly ever disappoint, jewelry is at the top of our list. I’m guessing I’m not the only one who loves to look at pretty jewelry but passes when I see the price tag. Usually it’s not worth it unless it’s a special occasion. Well, we’re giving you permission–Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to get your S.O. something that sparkles and is fancy enough to make her blush. If she won’t spend the money on herself, why don’t you?

Pamper Her

Everyone deserves to feel a little pampered now and then, and we think Valentine’s Day is one of the best occasions there is to make your loved one feel special. Give her a bath pillow and some bath soak, light some candles, and let her relax and read after a long day at work. An eye mask and some luxurious face creams wouldn’t go awry, either.

For Her Hobbies

Women love it when you tap into their interests, so Valentine’s Day gifts that are geared towards her favorite past-times will be an instant hit. Does she have a green thumb? Bingo. Anything plant related will surely surprise as well as delight. Lover of food and gatherings (who isn’t)? Try this lovely charcuterie board or these cheese knives.

To Decorate

Another surprising and spot on Valentine’s Day gift your S.O. will love are some home decor items. Gift her with a pop of color to add to her at-home office or work space, or a beautiful accent chair for your living space. And a dazzling throw pillow or lampshade can do no wrong.

More Inspiration

The gift ideas don’t end here. Honestly, I could go on all day with Valentine’s Day gift ideas. If you loved these ideas and are looking for more, check out our shop! There are endless options for every price point, and all are lovely options for such a special day. Oh, and stay tuned–we’ve got a gift guide for men’s gifts coming up soon!

How to Jumpstart Your Creativity

Brittany

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January 20, 2022

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Most People Can Be Creative

So here’s the thing: most people are more creative than they give themselves credit for. The trouble is, they don’t believe it. Often, that lack of belief comes from one bad experience that’s convinced them they just don’t have the talent. A friend of mine, for example, was told by her elementary school music teacher she had a lousy voice. She’s been self-conscious ever since, though may people since then have told her she has a lovely voice.

We’re not talking about singing here, but my point is that it’s easy to be critical of your abilities when someone you respect and look up to tells you you’re no good. To be honest, hearing stories like my friend’s makes my blood boil. Mentors should never do that! Most of the time, they’re wrong, anyway. I really do believe the biggest impediment to our ability to do anything is our belief that we are incapable. And the best way to help someone feel capable is believing in them and giving them the resources to learn how! So here’s my little push to all of you: you are capable! It may take time and patience, but we hope these ways to jumpstart your creativity will help get you going in the right direction.

How to Jumpstart Your Creativity

Look For Inspiration

One of the best ways to jumpstart your creativity is to look for inspiration. Just start with things you like! It’s a lie that everything you do has to be 100% original. It’s almost impossible to find anyone that hasn’t been influenced by others in their ideas. We are all inspired by one another, and you can use that inspiration to fuel your brain, get outside of your head, and come up with fresh new ideas. And honestly, sometimes copying what others have done is an excellent way to get you started (just avoid plagiarism and violating copyright laws). Often, it’s in the process of making something that you get sparks for new ideas, so start with something you like.

Here’s an old inspo board from years ago:

We love Pinterest as a means to gather inspiration. We also make lots of mood boards, and make sure the space we’re trying to get creative in is full of inspiration to reference. Print things out, use magazine clippings, etc. and decorate your space with things that inspire you.

Here’s another inspo board from my bathroom remodel:

Set Up A Creative Space

Speaking of places to put the inspiration you gather, set up a space for yourself where you can feel creative! Let it be a stress-free environment where you can concentrate and let the juices flow (Hint: not the dining room table during dinner prep). I’ve found that it’s so much easier to be creative when I have a designated space where I can concentrate, look for inspiration, and store all my supplies so everything is on hand when I need it.

If you’re looking for inspiration in setting up your creative space, here’s my newly-renovated office!

And here’s Jane and Jenny’s office space!

Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself

Don’t be too hard on yourself. These tips on how to jumpstart your creativity aren’t something that will make you Matisse overnight. It takes time and patience, so keep trying even if you feel like you’ve failed (you haven’t). Don’t give up on yourself just because you didn’t like one thing you did a long time ago. Give it another go! It’s like a muscle you have to exercise.

Also, remember that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Some people are extremely precise when it comes to painting details, but others are great at identifying color schemes for their design. So don’t sell yourself short. Just because you don’t feel confident at one aspect of creating doesn’t mean you don’t have something to offer!

Just so you don’t feel quite so alone, here was our recent epic fail with marbled pumpkins:

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A post shared by The House that Lars Built-DIY (@houselarsbuilt)

Believe me, that wasn’t a first, and it won’t be the last time we don’t get a project right.

Talk to Others

If you like to be social, start a group or invite friends to come make things with you–it can help to talk to others if you’re not feeling very creative. That’s why we all work in the Lars studio together–we love bouncing ideas off each other and brainstorming. The more brains you have working on a creative project, the better. If you feel shy about showing what you’re working on to others, don’t feel pressured, though. It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re not quite ready to show your project to the world and you receive some premature criticism. Wait until you’re ready. But when you do feel ready, it can be beneficial to receive feedback on what you’re working on. Constructive criticism can be really helpful to take you to the next level of excellence.

Here’s a photo of team Lars! It’s a few years old, but you get the idea.

Keep it Low Key and Have Fun

Most of all, one of the best ways to jumpstart your creativity is to keep it low key and just have fun! Don’t pile the expectations onto yourself. Experiment! You likely won’t get something you’re ecstatic about the first time, but then again, who has? Remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect right away. You’re just learning, and learning takes time.

Some Simple Crafts to Get You Started

To give you a place to start if you’re not sure where to begin, here are some great crafts to jumpstart your creativity without being too intimidating.

Easy DIY Valentines Crafts

This is a great post to turn to for easy crafts that also happen to be seasonal, as Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Many of these crafts require little more than a little cutting and gluing. You can make a whole host of adorable valentines in a snap.

Lars Shop Kits

Kits are a great place to start if you want a craft that’s less intimidating. Our kits give you all the supplies you need, so you can plop down in your chair and be done in a flash! We give you instructions that walk you through each step, too, so you won’t have to puzzle through it on your own.

Paper Weaving From Craft the Rainbow

In honor of Craft the Rainbow, this paper weaving project is a great project to start with if you’re just dipping your toes. Weaving paper is a cinch, but looks so delicate and lovely when you’re finished. Frame a few and you’ve got some instant inspo for your creative space!

Craft The Rainbow

Speaking of Craft The Rainbow, if you’d like to read a bit more about it in the book’s two year anniversary post, here you go! We would highly recommend buying it–there are 40 colorful paper projects to get you started on your crafting journey, not to mention some anecdotes that will (hopefully) help you understand that crafting can be for you, me, and everyone.

You got this! We would love to hear your stories–what’s your journey with creativity been like?