Love is all around and this year we found new gift items — along with adorable cards, kits and crafts — that you are sure to fall in love with. Whether you’re looking for something quirky or sweet, you are sure to find the perfect little thing in our latest Valentine’s Day gift selection.

Here are a few that I find to be swoon-worthy:

Adding to our collection of kitchen aprons is this simple and sweet Heart Apron. It is a great way to pamper yourself for Valentine’s Day or a lovely way to shower your favorite baker with love. Add the heart-shaped oven mitt (shown above) for the perfect ensemble.

Nothing warms the soul better than a hot cup of coffee, tea or cocoa. Why not score your favorite Valentine a new coffee mug? Give a hardworking mom or dad something to smile about with our Mama Bear Mug or Papa Bear Mug. Remind someone to Keep Calm and Carry On with our best selling porcelain and enamel mugs. Or, take your love to new depths with this tentacled creature. Our new Octopus Mug is perfect for a nautical romance or someone who likes quirky doodads.

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day with out sweet sentiments. Pen something original in one of these journals, made from our fine papers. Can’t find the right words? Shakesphere’s Love Sonnets book is sure to be just as romantic. Or, leave the writing to them with one of our personalized note pads.

And what Valentine’s Day round up would be complete without mention of candy?! Give the traditional Sweethearts candy (also available with Spanish phrases) or dive in to heart-shaped Junior Mints. Our red and white paper straws are back in stock for anyone who is mixing up their own sweet goodness this Valentine’s Day. Claudia offered up this adorable Valentine’s Day craft as a way to celebrate the season.

XOXO,

–Lindsay, PS Buying Team
PS colors: beet & fuchsia
Latest fave: Octopi

After another food-free crafting “lunch” playing with cool new product from the Buying team, and some talented creative work from the Crafting team, taking that inspiration and bringing it to life, we have our next round of card making “recipes”!

Have fun and do something creative for Valentine’s Day!

– Cindy
PS colors: persimmon & paper bag
Latest fave: 2011 Paper Source Booklet Calendar

Send your favorite fool rushing in this Valentine’s Day with our Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Love card. Utilize paper from season’s past or follow along with our color recommendations. Either way you slice it, this Valentine is better than a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Materials Needed:

• Hunka Hunka How-to PDF
• A7 Black Folded Cards
• Persimmon & Poppy 4 Bar Heart Cards
• Red Glitter Wrap
• Peacock, Curry, Poppy, Papaya and Beet Text Weight Papers (or whatever scrap you’ve got!)
• Heart Hole Punch
• Foam Squares
• Glue Stick
• Silver Metallic Sharpie Marker
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Xacto & Cutting mat

Instructions:

1. Using templates, trace and cut letters. (We used Peacock for “hunka hunka” and “burnin” and Beet for “LOVE”)
2. Punch hearts out of Beet paper.
3. Using an assortment papers, cut a mix of flames in varying heights.
4. Adhere flames to card using a glue stick.
5. Layer Persimmon heart on top of Poppy heart and adhere to card with foam squares.
6. Adhere phrase, as shown, using a glue stick and accent with hearts.
7. Write message inside using silver marker.

And you thought only teddy bears were lovable? This adorable little Panda makes a huggably sweet folded note- perfect for your Valentine sentiments! Created by the Paper Source Craft Design team, you can construct your Panda Love Card with colors of the season, or mix and match with your favorite PS colors. He’s just too cute to pass up!

Materials Needed:

• Paper Source Panda Love How To
• A7 Persimmon Folded Cards
• Fuchsia 4 Bar Heart Cards
• Black 1 ¼” Round Label Sheets
• Ecowhite 2 ½” Round Label Sheets
• Ecowhite 4″ Round Label Sheets
• Googly Eyes
• Black Brads
• ¾” Circle Punch
• Silver Metallic Sharpie Marker
• Gluedots
• Scissors

Instructions:

For panda body:
• Punch a ¾” circle from center of small black label, for panda tail.
• Stick tail just behind one large ecowhite label.
• Stick body with tail onto card, leaving room at top of card for head and ears.

Assemble panda head before sticking to card:
• Cut a small black label in half, stick in place onto medium ecowhite label.
• Punch two ¾” circles from centers of small black labels and stick in place just below ears.
• Adhere googly eyes on top of black punches with gluedots.
• Finish assembling head by affixing one black brad as nose.

To finish:
• Stick panda head onto card slightly overlapping body.
• Cut two more small black labels in half for paws and draw lines for claws with silver marker.
• Stick paws onto heart card as shown, using them to keep it in place on panda body.
• Write name or message onto heart card.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we created the cover of our most recent Paper Source catalog. Valentine’s Day is all about taking the time to show love, so we really wanted something handmade on our Valentine’s Day catalog cover. What we came up with was simple and lovely – a paper heart hand-stitched with the word “love.”

Create your own hand-stitched sentiment by following the easy steps below!

– Karen
PS colors: moss & papaya
Latest fave: India Calico File Folders

1. Choose the note card onto which you want to stitch (in this case our heart shape card). Next create a template of the note card from scrap paper or copy paper. Using your note card as a guide, trace its shape onto scrap paper.

2. Choose a word or phrase to stitch and decide how you want it to look. We tried a few different writing styles – some handwritten and a few fonts from the computer. Eventually we settled on the handwritten one shown. Print or handwrite your word onto your template making sure the placement is appropriate within the shape. Cut out your template shape.

3. Place your template on top of your shape card. Use an awl (aww…so cute!) to pre-punch stitching holes about 1/8” apart along the letters of the word. Punch through both the template and the shape card.

3. Now you’re ready to stitch! Remove your template and use ribbon, string or thread to stitch through the holes in your shape card. We used linen thread to stitch our little “love” onto the card.

Most people put their recipes inside file folders, but these wonderful mini tabbed folders are actually great for printing on the outside. I printed my recipe for love on each (2 cups sweetness, 1 spoon of romance), then embellished them with Valentine rubber stamps and decorative hole punches. Tuck your Valentine greetings inside these folders for a private way to deliver your message.

Let me know what your ingredients are for love – I just might try mixing it up! Here’s hoping you have a sweetie to share a recipe of love with this February 14th!

p.s. If you’re looking more inspiration on valentine crafts, check out our new Valentine workshops in January and early February.

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: 2010 Paper Source Letterpress Calendar

With rubber stamps, labels and super cute googly eyes, making homemade valentine cards is easy as can be. Take this idea and substitute with your favorite Valentine rubber stamps and stamp pad colors. Be careful, googly eyes are totally addicting…you’ll be sticking them to everything before you know it!

– Claudia
PS colors: curry & fuchsia
Latest fave: Mini Magnolia Paper Flower Kit

Materials Needed:
4bar Folded Cards Pure White & 4bar Envelopes
Blossom Strawberry Cloud Labels
Happy Valentine’s Day Rubber Stamp
Heart Large Rubber Stamp
Embossing Powder Heat Tool
Versamark Inkpad
Embossing Powder Red
Lipstick Red Color Box Chalk Inkpad
Rouge Color Box Chalk Inkpad
Googly Eyes
Black Pen

Instructions:
1. Stamp heart shape in two different colors next to each other onto 4bar folded card allowing room for label.
2. Stamp “Happy Valentine’s Day” directly onto blossom strawberry cloud labels using versa mark inkpad. Sprinkle with red embossing powder. Shake off excess powder and heat with embossing tool. Be extra careful not to hold embossing tool too close to the label.
3. Stick cloud label onto card just below the two hearts previously stamped.
4. Adhere googly eyes in place on hearts and use a black pen to draw mouths and holding hands.

Classes vary by store location – we’re so sorry if the class you want is not available at your local store! But don’t forget to check workshop schedules for surrounding stores in your area, or plan your own Valentine private party with just 4-6 people (call your local store for more information)!

Sweet Handmade Valentine – Victorian Fold (for adults)
The romantic at heart will love making the Victorian folded Valentines as seen in Martha Stewart Living. We’ll also decorate a favor box with rubber stamps and paper – a perfect way to present your handmade Valentine to your someone special!

WHERE: Select stores
WHEN: Thursday, January 28 – 6:30-7:30pm
The registration fee is $15. To register visit our Workshops page.

Sweet Handmade Valentine – with Mom or Dad (for kids)
Perfect for a Mom & me or Dad & me morning! Your kids will learn to fold a “fortune teller of love” Valentine and decorate it with our rubber stamps and accents. Then you’ll get to help them create a petal envelope to store their Valentine, using a heart boot punch, brads and string!

WHERE: Select stores
WHEN: Sunday, January 31 – 10:30-11:30am
The registration fee of $15 covers the cost of one adult and one child. Add a second child for $10 (two children per adult maximum). To register visit our Workshops page.

Check out what fun the daughters of Sally, Paper Source CEO, had making Valentine fortune tellers!

–Linda
PS colors: chartreuse & pool
Latest fave: Saddle Stitch Notebooks

–Annie
PS colors: gravel & beet
Latest fave: Tree Trunk Tea Light and Japanese 8 1/4″ Scissors

Materials Needed:
How to Foxy Valentine PDF
Pocketbook Favor Box Red
4 Bar Note Cards (Black & Superfine White)
A2 Note Cards Red
Oval Label Sheets Superfine White
1/4″ Round Hole Punch
1″ Circle Hole Punch
1/8″ Super Tacky Tape
Gluestick
Scissors
Pencil

Instructions:
1. Using Super Tacky Tape, assemble Pocketbook Favor Box according to instructions.
2. Trace templates and cut out pieces from How to Foxy Valentine PDF. Adhere pieces in place as pictured.
3. For eyes, punch out 1″ black circles and use a 1/4″ hole punch to create white pupils.
4. For the nose, use a 1/4″ black circle.
5. To create the chest, print your valentine message onto oval labels using our print template in Microsoft Word. Once you’ve typed your message, highlight your text and go to Format/Text Direction to change your text to a vertical orientation.