Gift cards are the ultimate multi-purpose gift, especially when it comes to those people who are just about impossible to shop for.  If you’re planning to give any gift cards this year for Valentine’s Day, make it a little more special by presenting it in a handmade gift card holder.  This self-enclosing holder looks like an envelope, but unfolds into the shape of a heart with the gift card peeking out.  It’s quick, easy, and takes only a few supplies to create.

Project estimate:

• Paper, on hand or $1
• Glue, on hand
• Marker, on hand or $1
• Sticker, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up

First, cut a heart shape to use as a template.  The heart should be sized so that the gift card will fit in the center with room to glue around the edges, and the total height if the heart should be twice as tall as the gift card or a little larger.

Use the template to cut two hearts, one for the front of the gift card and one for the back, either from the same paper or from two different papers.  The piece you cut for the back will also be the color of the outside of the envelope; if you would like it to show as a border behind the front heart (like mine does), cut the back piece slightly larger.

On the back side of the piece of paper that will be the front of the card, draw a line just wider than the gift card, positioned so that about 1/2 inch of the card will stick out.  Cut along the line.  (I also used a silver Sharpie to draw a thick line around the edge of the black piece that I used for the back of the gift card holder, creating a silver border around the heart.

Glue the front and back hearts together.  Apply the glue to the back side of the front piece, being careful around the bottom edges.  (If you glue too much, the card might not fit inside!)  Everything above the cut for the card can be glued down securely, as it will not interfere with placing the card inside.

You can decorate the front of the heart more if you would like, but avoid using extra layers of paper or bulky embellishments, which will make it more difficult to fold up the heart into an envelope.  Fold both sides of the heart in toward the center, working as close to the edges of the gift card as possible.  Pull the gift card out so you can crease the folds well, then stick it back in before you make your next folds.

Again working as close to the edges of the gift card as possible, fold the top and bottom of the heart in.  Pull the card out, crease, and replace card.

With the sides folded first, then the top of the heart, then the bottom, the gift card holder will resemble a small envelope, with the pointed bottom of the heart creating the envelope flap.  Secure the flap in place with a pretty heart sticker.