Hand-Stitched Valentines - Martha Stewart

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Softly hued hearts and delicate stitches give this card its romantic appeal.

Tools and Materials
Construction paper in shades of pink, red, white, and cream
Waxed twine
Microhole punch (optional)
Scissors
1 1/2-inch heart craft punch (optional)
Pencil
Embroidery needle
Double-sided tape

Hand-Stitched Valentines How-To
1. Fold a piece of construction paper into a card (our card is a 5 1/2-inch square), or use a blank pre-made card. Using scissors or a heart craft punch, cut six same-size, 1 1/2-inch-tall heart shapes from construction paper in different colors (if using scissors, use one heart as a template to trace the remaining five). Fold hearts in half lengthwise, creating creases down their centers.

2. Cut two 2-by-4 1/2-inch paper rectangles. Use a small piece of double-sided tape to affix each rectangle horizontally to the front of the card (as shown). Make two pencil marks on each heart's center crease, 1/2 inch apart; use a microhole punch or an embroidery needle to make a hole at each mark.

3. Affix three hearts to each rectangle on the card, overlapping the hearts slightly (as shown). Poke the needle through the holes in each heart and through the front of the card. Cut a 3 1/2-inch length of waxed twine, and thread it through the holes of one heart so that a single stitch shows on the outside and the loose ends are inside. Pull loose ends of twine until the stitch is taut, and tie in a knot. Trim ends. Repeat with remaining hearts.