Give these gift certificates to your favorite Valentine and let them enjoy the gift of giving all year long depending on how many you make! Fun to create and kids will love the scratch off hidden messages.
Below (in the printable instructions) I have provided both a PDF pattern for the gift certificates with predetermined gifts and a Word document so you can edit it and make your own. You may notice that the fonts are different when you open the document in Word. Here are the fonts in case you don’t have them, listed in order in which they are in the document:
Pea Diana
Pea How Sweet Eats
Pea Make it and Love it
The rest of the text is News Gothic MT, which is probably already installed on your computer, but just in case.
So let’s get started shall we?
Mix together one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and 2 teaspoons of red metallic paint.
Place contact paper, backing side down, on work surface. If it curls, anchor the corners with heavy objects to hold it flat. Paint the contact paper with red paint mixture and allow paint to dry for several hours. Repeat for a second coat. Allow paint to dry overnight.
I am very familiar with how red paints tend to be more translucent than others. So I tested it with one coat of paint.
As you can see, it wasn’t enough. So when using red, two coats are needed. Silver is a great alternative and only requires one coat.
Next, make your cards. User my template (below in printable instructions) or create your own simple gift certificates in Word and center align everything. Use a title such as “Valentine Gift Certificate” and if you wish, customize the color, size and font.
Below that type the following:
This gift is redeemable on a __________.
Scratch off heart to reveal your treat!
Suggestions for the blank space include: (for kids) sick day, today, birthday, etc. (for adults) today, Sweetest Day, Anniversary, birthday, etc.
Below that type the treat (i.e. trip to the park, back rub, etc)! Remember to leave enough space above and below the treat for the scratch off heart.
Print off your gift certificates and when you are happy with the size and placement, use a paper cutter to trim.
Use a glue stick to attach the printed certificate to patterned card stock.
Use paper cutter to trim the card stock, leaving a border around the certificate.
Cut hearts from red painted contact paper. Peel off the backing and adhere the heart over the top of the gift section of the certificate.
Use your fingernail or a coin to scratch off paint to reveal your prize!
- Colorful patterned card stock
- White copy paper
- Glue stick
- Red metallic paint
- Contact paper (approximately 12”x6”)
- Dishwashing liquid
- Cutting board or scissors
- Editable Word document OR printable pattern
- The paint will need time to dry, so do that step first. Place contact paper, backing side down, on work surface. If it curls, anchor the corners with heavy objects to hold it flat. Mix together one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and 2 teaspoons of red metallic paint. Paint the contact paper with red paint mixture and allow paint to dry for several hours. Repeat for a second coat. Allow paint to dry overnight.
- Meanwhile, make your cards. We used Microsoft Word, but any word processing software will do. You could also write these out by hand if you want to. Create a simple gift certificate in Word and center align everything. Use a title such as “Valentine Gift Certificate” and if you wish, customize the color, size and font.
- Print off your gift certificates and when you are happy with the size and placement, use a paper cutter to trim.
- Use a glue stick to attach the printed certificate to patterned card stock. Use paper cutter to trim the card stock, leaving a border around the certificate.
- Cut hearts from red painted contact paper. Peel off the backing and adhere the heart over the top of the gift section of the certificate.
- Use your fingernail or a coin to scratch off paint to reveal your prize!
Below that type the treat (i.e. trip to the park, back rub, etc)! Remember to leave enough space above and below the treat for the scratch off heart.
Amanda Formaro
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‘red metallic …’ what kind of paint? Tempera? Model enamel? Poster?
This is quite a cool craft- thanks for sharing it!
It’s acrylic craft paint :)
The reason it took 4 coats is because there is too much soap. All you need is a couple drops to 1 teaspoon of paint. Then you can get the opaque look with one coat.
Thanks for the tip!
What a great idea! I’m going to have to do something similar on my blog one day.
Thanks for the idea! Love your tutorials, too, by the way!
These are great!
Thanks Bobbie!
Thanks for the reply
They are lovely! Can you, please, explain what a contact paper is? I can´t really imagine what it is like. Is it something like wallpaper or something completely different? Where could I get it from? Thanks
Hi Ketka. Contact paper is an adhesive backed strong paper that is often used to line cabinets and shelves. Here’s what I used http://www.amazon.com/Kittrich-Corporation-999300-Clear-Contact/dp/B002HNYZ40
These are so cute Amanda!
Tanks Mique!
I love scratch-offs! What a neat homemade Valentine!
Thanks Brenda! Really easy and fun to make :)