Don’t let Hallmark decide how you profess your love. Amy Ehmann, a Highlands Ranch stationery designer for minted.com, gives us her tips for creating a handmade love note. We’ll leave the mushy stuff to you.

STEP 1

5280 February 2016
More From The Issue

Buy thick card stock and choose a piece of fabric that reflects your love’s design tastes.

STEP 2

Cut out a five-by-seven-inch piece of card stock and a 14-by-seven-inch piece of fabric (Ehmann buys hers from minted.com). Trim one of the fabric’s seven-inch sides into the shape of an envelope flap. Lay the fabric out horizontally, and place the card stock in the center.

STEP 3

Use a brush pen (an ink pen with a paintbrush top) to elegantly write what’s in your heart on the piece of card stock. Keep it simple. “I love you” might be all you need.

STEP 4

Fold the fabric around the card stock with the envelope flap on top. Use spray starch and an iron for crisp fold lines and to stop fabric from fraying on the edges.

STEP 5

Tuck a favorite black-and-white photograph of the two of you inside the flap. Tie the pieces together with twine, jute, or ribbon.