It’s always the right time to stick a little note in a lunch bag, briefcase, in between pages in a book...or tucked under the pillow! It really doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day to tell someone “I love you...”

Buying cards can get expensive---and besides they are big and obvious. So why not just slip in a little note that is the size of a business card? With the free printable Valentine Note Cards offered with this article (see link at the end), you can hand-write a note, or you can use your computer to preprint short love notes---all done on blank business cards! Use white or any plain-colored business card blanks (which you can purchase in stores like Office Depot, Staples, and usually even stores like Target and Wal-Mart). Instructions are provided below.

You can make up little “coupons” for Valentine’s Day, using the business-card-sized notes! Tuck a coupon that is good for one game rental into your son’s lunch bag or school backpack. Give your daughter a coupon for a real manicure at a nail salon! Slip a coupon good for a dozen kisses into your husband’s briefcase. You can have fun with the “coupon for Valentine’s Day” idea---just personalize the coupon for the person you are giving it to.

For younger school children who may still be doing Valentine’s Day cards for their classmates, this is a good opportunity to spend some quality time together, as you help your son or daughter make the cards! And depending on how computer-savvy your kids are, it might be them who are teaching you computer skills!

Business card blanks are fairly inexpensive (and can be used for a lot more than as “just business cards). Buy an off-brand (such as Office Depot’s store brand) to save a little money. Sometimes you can find business card blanks made from recycled paper (which is even cheaper). If you are having a Valentine’s Day party, then you can use these cards as placecards for the table, gift tags for party favors, or any of a variety of uses---just be creative!

The free printable Valentine’s Day note cards are already formatted for business cards (Avery template 8371) and come in two versions: blank and with a text box. Each card has a different Valentine motif on it. Each printable will print a total of 10 cards (one full page of business cards). The two free printable Valentine Note Cards are Word documents and use the clipart that is installed as part of your Microsoft Word software. The two documents are in a zip file to make them easier to download to your computer:

http://readingroom.janktheproofer.com/ValentineNoteCards.zip

Once you have the zip file downloaded and opened, you can print either or both of the Word documents. Be sure to load your printer with blank business cards (compatible with Avery 8371; look on the package of business cards for the statement about compatibility, it is usually right on the front of the package). You can also print these on plain computer paper, and then just cut them apart.

You can personalize the cards by either writing on them by hand, or you can insert text directly into each card before printing. For more help with working with business cards and inserting text, please go to “How To Make Gift Tags Using Business Cards” (http://readingroom.janktheproofer.com/businesscardgifttags.htm). That article will provide easy-to-follow instructions for inserting text into a business card.

To see these cards and for more Valentine’s Day Card crafts, please go to:

http://readingroom.janktheproofer.com/valentinecrafts.htm

Jan K., The Proofer is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. Visit Jan’s Portal (http://www.jansportal.com) for more information about Jan’s free crafts, recipes, tutorials, other resource sites, and free content articles, as well as Jan’s business services. Be sure to visit Mom’s Break (http://www.momsbreak.com/) for free printable crafts and projects. © Copyright 2005 to present. All rights reserved.