Make a Cut-Out Valentine Card

Getting the right message in your Valentines Day card is too important to trust to a company. If you want to show your affection your way, then you better make it yourself.

This is a guide to designing your own cut-out card that has a good look to it and can be customized any way you want.

If you want one of these, I made a few extra that are at my Etsy shop.

Step 1: Write Your Message

The most important part is to write a short and sweet message. Try to keep it to no more than 8 words or so unless you're really into using an X-acto blade for a while.

These instructions are for Adobe Illustrator, but there are other free vector programs, like Inkscape, that are worth trying as well.

So, first write your topical and romantic message in a big bold font. I chose Arial Black. Also, tighten up the kerning, the space between the letters. Overlapping is good.

Comments

[fred27]

Excellent. I used some different tools - CamBam and a laser controlled using Mach3 - but got a great result making a mother's day card for my wife. (My son is only 1 so he couldn't use the laser himself.) The only problem was that it was so good she thought it was from a shop!

[monica466]

hi im new

[maglow]

After few times at cutting works, finally I made it . would like to share with the rest
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v411/acacia_low/photo_zps2d000c48.jpg[/IMG]

[maglow]

After few times at cutting works, finally I made it . would like to share with the rest

[Mauigerbil]

I like the "Thanks for not calling the cops" one, but when would that be practical?!?ಠ▃ಠ

[Siggamonda]

I made this to give to my GF for valentines 2011, a bit late I know but I thought I'd share seeing as I just got access to the laser cutter at Uni.

[applesaucemodifier]

Great Idea! I am making one for Christmas that have "wicked" tickets inside.
http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/3989/cardg.jpg

[barbq]

Thanks for your sharing! I made a birthday card to my BF. I use his name Edward to compose the sentence - Each Day With u is A Rainbow Day and put a rainbow color on it !

I believe this is the worth trying card!

btw, I use Linkscape and find this tutorial is good for newbie who wants to make heart shape. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOai_3Isgdc

[PuzzleJenn]

As a woman, I'm thinking about making some of these for my closest guy friends! "You look even sexier through my binoculars" sounds like a good one. ;)

"I'm stalking you," sounds like a good one as well. ;)

[silver_butterfly326]

I made one for my boyfriend! I just used microsoft word to print out the saying, then used an exacto knife to cut!! I used black construction paper to make a boarder (i wanted to use black ribbon but I didn't have enough).. Can't wait to give it to him!!

[gtoal]

Dude, if ever you had the perfect excuse to buy yourself a Cricut without objections from the wife, now's the time :-)

Total respect to someone who would spend that much effort cutting out fonts by hand.

G

[lostbord999]

Asum Instructable!! Love it!!

[crazichick414]

your woman must have loved you!!! :)

[yokozuna]

awsum spelling- it should be "you're". :P

[komecake]

  First thing I noticed too... and after all that work. >.<

[fungus amungus]

Wow, that's a lot of cutting. Great job!

[jace1127]

 awww! i totally want one!!! i love your messages on them =]

[fungus amungus]

Valentine's Day snuck up on me. I was going to sell some through Etsy again, but life's been busy.

[jace1127]

 you really should have. these are exactly the kind of cards I (and I'm sure a lot of other women/girls) like.. Truthful, funny, and I love love love the look of it..

too bad.. 

Next year then? =]

[ERCCRE123]

Some of these cards are quite creepy.

[lalunamel]

 Only some of them >.> 
Great instructable, I will make one and give it to my valentine!

[karma1976]

umm, DITTO

[jamowa]

What a great instructable!  I've wanted to learn how to make this type of card ever since I saw one 5 yrs ago in SF.  Merci.  I'm not experienced w/ Illustrator so I took a wack at it using MS Publisher.  Here is my beta....I'll cut it out this weekend and post the results.

[fungus amungus]

Looks like it should work. If you're cutting by hand any program should be fine. It's jut about the results.

[martymunch]

These are great, "Thanks for not calling the cops". That's hilarious.

[cornflaker]

Best one there lol

[mihaibica]

I like your post, i think it's great but next time pleace be so kind as to consider the people that never layed eyes on illustrator! I meen I spent a few hours going through how too's :D.

[fungus amungus]

You can get a similar effect with pretty much any graphics program. Being able to break it up in a vector program gives you much more control. On the plus side, learning a vector program is a good thing anyway.

[mihaibica]

No what I meen is this is my first graphic project ever! You should put the paths to the different tools needed. Get it?

[audiomind]

An exacto knife ain't gonna 'cut' it for this project, unless you want a mess. Especially if you decide to use regular paper for the print out and trace around it with construction paper underneath. Where do they have 75 watt Epilog laser cutters at?

[fungus amungus]

It can work. It will take a lot longer and won't be as clean, but it's a lot cheaper than a laser cutter. I've cut through thicker card stock than this before with one.

[audiomind]

Further, what did you print this out on? What type of paper?

[fungus amungus]

This is 80 lb. card stock

[thematthatter]

how about these: Your prettier on myspace Is your sister seeing anyone? Can I get a scrap of your hair for my collection? I didnt just "give" you chocolate on Christmas. Sorry. But can we still hang out?

[adamvan2000]

'It puts the lotion on it's skin'
'of course those pants make you look fat!'
'But we always dress up like wookies before we make out!'

~adamvan2000

[Goodhart]

If love is the answer, what was the question? :-) Although that might be a tad long....

[container_gardener]

I especially like the last one...funny!

[mg0930mg]

Haha. Great Job!

[explosivemaker]

.....I was thinking they looked laser cut.....very nice by the way.....I don't know that they would look that good with my cutting skills....

[Valche]

Is there any way some of us po' folks without editing software could get the image files for some of these? Or, even better, a legal *cough* version of a certain popular editing program?