CHAPTER VI

ORIGINAL VALENTINES

Always alert, chubby little Cupid works hard on St. Valentine’s Day; his duties are many, and his pretty bow sends the arrows flying in all directions. He is a merry little fellow, full of queer pranks and a great favorite. The venerable St. Valentine seems to have merely loaned his name to the fourteenth of February, leaving all the duties to Cupid, who appears to be well pleased with the arrangement. For hundreds of years past the young people have been as anxious to send and receive valentines as at the present time

=In Former Days,=

before valentines were dropped in the mail-box, girls and boys had a great deal of fun sending them to each other. Generally the young folks waited until twilight; then each would sally forth in his neighborhood, lightly step up to the front door of the house where the valentine was to be left, and without the least noise slip the paper under the door, ring the bell and scamper away as fast as possible, to avoid being seen. Valentines to-day bring the same thrill of pleasure, and when the whistle of the postman announces the arrival of the mail on the eventful day, eager fingers are impatient to open the envelope and discover the treasure within. Then the question follows, “Who could have sent such a lovely valentine to me?”

Before making original valentines try to think of some particular study or pursuit in which each friend is interested to whom you desire to send a token on February 14. One may have a talent for painting, another for music; a third may delight in flowers, and so on throughout a long list of subjects which will furnish you with many suggestions for

=The Most Appropriate Valentine=

to be sent to each. As a little practice before using ideas entirely your own, try making the valentines here described. The mystic four-leaved clover (Fig. 165) would be just the thing for a companion who delights in hunting that symbol of good luck. This valentine is very simple and can be made in a short time.

Cut a sheet of unruled heavy writing-paper in halves and on one piece trace

=The Four-leaved Clover=

(Fig. 166). Paint it green; an even flat tint will look well if you cannot manage shadows, but be careful to do the work to the best of your ability. In plain lettering mark the words,

“Good Luck to You, my Valentine;”

then slide the missive into an envelope large enough to contain an unfolded half-sheet of paper. In case you happen [Illustration: Fig. 167.] to have a natural four-leaved clover which has been pressed, use it instead of the painted one, and take a whole sheet of paper so that the brittle leaf may not be exposed, but can be secured inside the sheet on the third page by means of a little paste. With the pressed clover the lettering should be made on the outside of the sheet of paper before the leaf is placed within.

Another easy valentine to make is

=The Easel Holding a Picture=

Cut this from stiff paper or light-weight card-board (Fig. 167). First trace the design on the card-board; then [Illustration: Fig. 168.] cut it out and paint the easel golden-brown on both sides, except the part which forms the canvas for the picture and the cross-piece for the lettering. Leave these white; draw a line at the bottom of the canvas and letter the strip,

“To my Valentine.”

Paste any pretty colored floral design you may possess on the blank space or canvas left for the purpose. Bend down the supporting strip (A) projecting from the top (Fig. 167), and the miniature picture and easel will stand alone and be ready to send to some friend who is studying drawing or is interested in art (Fig. 168).

To an attractive friend who has no special fancy for any particular avocation, send the valentine shown at Fig. 169. Make it of

=Two Heart-shaped Pieces=

of stiff white paper and a small piece of broken mirror. Cut the heart according to the size of the glass (Fig. 170); then with strong paste fasten the mirror on the heart (Fig. 170). Cut another heart exactly like the first, and and in its centre make a heart-shaped opening as large as possible, while leaving it small enough to cover well the edges of the glass. If you do not know how to make a heart-shaped design trace Fig. 169. Decorate the top part with a painted pink ribbon, and on one side write,

“Look into this Mirror Clear,”

and on the other,

“And My True Love will Appear.”

At the bottom point of the valentine paste a Cupid; then using strong paste fasten the heart-shaped frame over the glass and lay the valentine under several books until the paste is dry, taking the precaution to put a clean piece of paper underneath, and another over the top of the valentine to keep it perfectly fresh and clean. Any other style of decoration may take the place of the ribbon and Cupid. Small colored embossed paper forget-me-nots could be used.

Should one of your friends delight in fireworks displays give her

=The Firecracker=

shown at Fig. 171. Roll together a piece of stiff paper two inches wide and three inches long (Fig. 172); let the two sides overlap each other slightly and join them securely with strong paste, forming a hollow tube. Have the paper the peculiar red of genuine firecrackers, if you can obtain such. For the inside take a piece of white paper four inches long and a trifle less than three inches wide and [Illustration: Fig. 172.] write on it these words:

“Your eyes are so bright That if they were mine, I would soon have a light For this queer valentine.”

In the turned-over edge at the bottom of the paper paste a waxed string, as in Fig. 173. Then roll the paper and insert it in the red tube (Fig. 171).

One of the prettiest customs of St. Valentine’s Day was instituted by the daughter of Henry IV. of France, Madam Royal, who built a palace and named it the Valentine. She then gave a grand party in honor of St. Valentine where each lady received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from one who was chosen as her valentine. The same gallantry was repeated ever after on like occasions. The idea of the valentine flowers is very pleasing, and we will use it in a modified form, but instead of cut blossoms in a bouquet we will have

=A Pot of Growing Flowers=

(Fig. 174). Trace on reddish-brown card-board (Fig. 175), and cut it out, also cut the point B and the slits C and E. Bring the two sides together, sliding the end D over, not under, through the slit C, at the same time pushing the point B into the small slit E; and bend back the extension D on the wrong side to hold the sides together and keep the flower-pot upright. Cut out the bottom (Fig. 176) and let it drop down through the top of the flower-pot until it lodges. Straighten and fit it in evenly; then cut out the top (Fig. 177) of dark card-board, as it represents the earth. Of course, one cannot dig holes in paper earth to plant paper flowers, so slits must be made according to Fig. 177. On white card-board trace Figs. 178, 179, and 180; paint them to resemble as nearly as possible natural pinks, and plant them [Illustration: Fig. 175.] [Illustration: Fig. 176.] [Illustration: Fig. 177.] in the paper earth in this way: slip the rounded extension of Fig. 178 through the slit F (Fig. 177). Bend back the angular part K and slide its extension L through the small slit T. Turn the paper earth over on the wrong side, holding the flowers in position the while, and bend up the roots of the two projecting pieces against the under side of the disk or earth; paste them in place. Next plant Fig. 179 in the same manner, sliding its rounded extension through slit G, and its smaller one through slit O. Plant the last flower (Fig. 180) through [Illustration: Fig. 178.] slit H; adjust the earth or top disk, and the finished work will be a little round flower-pot filled with growing pinks standing up separately from each other and looking very bright and natural (Fig. 174). On a dainty piece of paper write this message:

“Go, Little Flowers, Salute My Valentine, Who Can, Who May, Who Must Be Mine.”

Place the note inside the flower-pot. Pretty colored printed flowers or embossed ones for scrap-books, which may be bought in almost any toy-store, can be substituted for the pinks. Fasten them in position by making three tracings of Fig. 181 and pasting a group of flowers and foliage on each one; these extra pieces will furnish the flowers with proper paper roots, which can be planted and fitted in the paper earth in the same manner as the pinks.

=A Gentle Little Friend=

should receive the valentine which is shown at Fig. 182. Cut from white card-board the circular disk (Fig. 183); around its edge write:

“Lift the Loop and You Shall See That Which Makes Me Think of Thee.”

From fancy gold paper cut a circular band (Fig. 184) smaller in circumference than the card-board; fold it through the centre (Fig. 185), bring the [Illustration: Fig. 183.] [Illustration: Fig. 185.] [Illustration: Fig. 184.] [Illustration: Fig. 186.] folded ends together and again fold (Fig. 186). Once more fold (Fig. 187) and from this cut the outline seen in Fig. 188, being careful not to cut the folded ends P and Q. Unfold the paper and you will have Fig. 189. Place this ornamental golden band on the white cardboard. It should fit just inside the writing. Stick it down slightly here and there with a very little paste; then make Fig. 190 of fancy white paper. Insert the scissors at the beginning (S) and cut the spiral around and around in one unbroken strip until the centre is reached. In the centre make a short slit and push the two ends of a narrow white ribbon through the slit; then turn the spiral over and paste each end of the ribbon flat against the paper, as in Fig. 191. Have ready a white paper dove and fasten it in the centre of Fig. 183, which has previously been decorated with the gold-paper design. Slide the end S of the spiral under the edge of the gold band, placing the spiral so that it will lie flat and even inside the golden paper and will cover the centre of the valentine. Lift the cover by the loop and you will have a glimpse of the white dove, which means peace and gentleness.