With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I wanted to create a layout filled with hearts. This gave me the perfect excuse to gather a variety of pink cardstock colors—especially since they are currently on sale through January 30th, 2025.
Getting Started
My vision for this layout was to design a grid of pink hearts on a white cardstock background. With so many shades of pink involved, I decided to stick with just two additional colors: white and black, to create a striking contrast. For the background, I selected a white and black diagonal stripe patterned paper to tie everything together.
To keep my workspace organized, I laid out all the materials I would need before starting. This included my cardstock, heart punch, adhesive, black thread, and embellishments. Having everything within reach made the process smooth and enjoyable.
Choosing The Colors
To keep with the Valentine’s theme, I chose five shades of pink cardstock along with my favorite white cardstock:
- DCS Canvas Textured Wedding Cake White cardstock
- DCS Canvas Textured Pink Tutu cardstock
- Lessebo Bubble Gum Pink cardstock
- Pop Tone Razzle Berry cardstock
- DCS Raspberry Ice cardstock
- DCS Amaranth Pink cardstock
When selecting these colors, I considered how they would look together on the page. I wanted a harmonious blend of soft and bold pinks to create depth and visual interest. Once I had my selections, I used the WeR Memory Keepers Heart Clear-Cut Punch to cut out hearts in all the pink shades. I made sure to punch out extras in case I needed more for layering or experimenting.
Creating the Background
With the hearts punched out, I decided to add some extra flair to them using various embellishments. These included:
- Hand-drawn outlines: Using a fine-tip black pen, I carefully outlined some of the hearts to give them a doodled effect.
- Heart-patterned stamping: I stamped smaller heart patterns onto a few of the hearts using a black ink for extra contrast.
- XOXO stamping: For a playful touch, I stamped “XOXO” with dots in black ink on some of the hearts, alternating in the placement on the heart
- Stitching two hearts together for a 3D effect: This was one of my favorite techniques. By layering two hearts and stitching them together down the center before folding up the top heart, I created a dimensional look that added texture and movement.
At this point, I used my sewing machine to stitch a grid across the white cardstock using black thread. This detail added a bold contrast and a polished base for my layout. I measured and marked the grid lightly with a pencil beforehand to ensure straight and evenly spaced lines. With the grid complete and my hearts decorated, it was time to assemble everything.
Assembling the Layout
For the final assembly, I began by adhering the hearts to the background in a random yet balanced fashion. I varied the placement of the 3D hearts and flat hearts to create a dynamic look. The only deliberate planning I did was ensuring the 3D hearts didn’t interfere with the placement of my photo.
To frame the photo, I layered it with three sheets of black-and-white tissue paper for added texture. I crumpled the tissue paper slightly to give it a relaxed, organic look that contrasted nicely with the structured grid.
To finish, I added these final embellishments:
- Acrylic title: I chose a light pink acrylic word that said “Just Because” and placed it near the photo for a bold focal point.
- Black puffy stickers: I used heart- and dot-shaped puffy stickers to add a playful touch and extra dimension.
- White phrase puffy stickers: These stickers featured sweet Valentine’s sentiments like “XO XO XO” and “You Are Awesome” and added a soft, romantic vibe to the layout.
I stepped back several times during the assembly to make sure the layout felt cohesive and balanced. Taking breaks to view the project from a distance helped me identify any areas that needed adjustment.
One of my favorite techniques is creating a grid layout, as it brings visual calmness to an arrangement with many elements. The structured grid paired with the whimsical hearts created a balanced and pleasing composition. I also loved experimenting with different embellishment techniques, which made each heart unique.
Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this project inspires you to create your own Valentine’s-themed layouts. Don’t forget to explore the beautiful cardstock options at CutCardStock for your next creative project. They have such a wide variety of colors and textures to suit any occasion.
Until next time—happy crafting!