There’s Still Plenty of Time: Make Your Heartbeat Faster with Repurposed Paper Valentines
Still scratching your head about what to get your sweetie (or yourself) for Valentine’s Day? This idea will certainly show your love to others, yourself, and Mother Earth.
Create one-of-a-kind valentines using repurposed papers. And if you do so with others, you are doubling and tripling the love and the fun!
Some of the images featured here are from our recent “Create Night” event with Finding Your Good, Tim Kime Art & Climate Classes—a new partnership made in upcycling/repurposing/thrifting heaven. Other photos are from an impromptu creative gathering outside my studio when folks did some “Heart Art” with neighbors and passers-by. Both were so much fun as they sparked new connections and inspired creativity.
What’s not to love about these heart-filled, heartful opportunities?
Here’s your recipe for a memorable Valentine-making gathering:
`1. Create a communal workspace
No matter if you are hosting a small group at your place or joining others for a festive evening, an important ingredient is ensuring all can gather around one workspace. It could be your dining room or kitchen table and several worktables pulled together. Place chairs or stools around the parameter. This allows old friends and new acquaintances to sit together while making art.
Don’t have a table, chairs, or stools? Hit Goodwill today to pick up them for a few dollars. Don’t worry about the color or design, as they may be personalized for your taste at a later time.
2. Offer interesting, eye-catching paper products
What items do you have on hand already that can be cut and clipped into a valentine or two? Old magazines, out-of-date calendars, greeting cards, postcards, maps, and sheet music are perfect pieces to repurpose.
Shop at Goodwill for items like kid’s picture books and cookbooks. Most are very colorful and easily deconstructed to be used this way. Also, Goodwill also has a section for office and craft supplies on sale, so you are likely to find items there, too, to help in the valentine-making process.
3. Provide creative tools: scissors, markers, pens, glue sticks
Give your guests something to use to transform papers into heart-shaped cards and art. Scissors will help to cut them; markers and pens allow folks to draw heart shapes as well as to write loving messages in them. Glue sticks make it easy to assemble these pieces with little mess and no fuss.
4. Play some good tunes
Set a happy tone by playing fun tunes. While many of us have great playlists on our phones and other devices, you can also check out the electronics section at Goodwill for tape players, radios, speakers, and even small instruments to add to the overall audio experience.
5. Share theme-related refreshments
Keep your guests’ creative energy high by providing refreshments. Heart-shaped chocolates, red and pink candies, and other holiday-related items will add to the loving feel and flair. And as long as you are at Goodwill, pick up serving platters, bowls and dishes to hold these items to be shared and enjoyed. Like most items you find there, you will only spend a buck or two and can reuse them for other gatherings and events.
Following these simple steps, you are certain to create a recipe for success for Valentine’s Day or any other special gathering.
It was such a joy to see the creativity and connection happening when people came together to make valentines. Kids of all ages enjoyed the chance to transform papers into happy, heartfelt—and often heart-shaped—cards and notes to share with loved ones.
Thanks to Finding Your Good and Climate Classes for an energizing evening which inspired the heart art right outside my studio. Lots of love to all and to Mother Earth!
Similar Reads:
- DIY: How to Paint a Chair Pair to Show Your Pride
- Resolve to DIY More in 2023: Start With a Spray-Painted Fabric Chair
- How-To: Painting $8 Chairs To Match My Favorite Goodwill Table
Tim Kime
Artist, Motivational Speaker, Life Coach
