DIY: Dip-Dyed Valentines

I’ve always loved making my own valentines, even as an adult. I even orchestrated a Make-Your-Own Valentine party at my old office a couple of years ago! Usually they were simple, made out of construction paper with a handwritten note inside, but this year I decided to make them a little more luxe with cardstock paper, lots of gold details, and a quick dip in some food coloring to create an ombre effect. Scroll down for a full tutorial!

When you are working on something that will brighten someone’s Valentine’s Day, it is always appropriate to do it with a glass of wine. La Crema’s Monterey Pinot Noir is a great pairing with this craft, because Pinot Noir may be the ultimate Valentine’s Day wine.

Supplies:

• Card stock (I used shades of white and pink)
• Glue and/or tape
• Food coloring (to create pink on the paper, I used red)
• Large bowl for dip-dyeing
• Paper towels
• Stickers, paint, pens–anything you want to decorate the valentines with after dip-dyeing

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix one cup of water and 15-20 drops of food coloring (you can adjust this to get a lighter or darker shade of pink).
2. Lay out some paper towels near your dip-dyeing station.
3. Dip the cardstock into the water one piece at a time. You can dip one corner, half of the paper, or even each corner to create a border–get creative! Shake it off and let excess liquid drip off before you set each piece on the paper towel to dry.
4. To create an ombre effect, let the paper dry and then add more food coloring to the water. Re-dip less of the paper this time. Repeat as necessary/desired.
5. Once the paper is thoroughly dried (about fifteen to twenty minutes), place under a heavy book to flatten. This is optional but I like to do steps 1-5 the night before and let the paper flatten out overnight.
6. Fold and decorate your valentines–we used gold studs, sparkly stones, stickers, fancy paper for the inside of the cards, and even a mini mirror! To create a professional look we stuck with same color scheme throughout, but you could make them however you like. Enjoy!

Photos by Sarah Gatrell of Photo + Love.