DIY Love Coupon Book
by Kat Richter

So forget about the crayons and start thinking. With these adorable DIY Coupon Books, your Love Coupons may be too cute to cash in!

• One package of assorted cardstock
• Scrapbooking paper in various colors, prints and textures
• Letter stickers (you can “paint” your own letters with glitter glue but stickers are easier, cleaner and quicker)
• Glitter paint (found in the fabric paint section of your local craft store)
• One yard of ribbon
• Assorted buttons
• Scissors
• Glue
• Needle and thread (crewel thread or embroidery floor work best, as they're thicker and make more an impact)

The Cover

Step 1) Select a piece of cardstock to use as the base of your cover. We used a piece of paper from our Designer Mat Pad and based the entire color scheme off of the floral motif. Once you've decided on your base, you'll need to select several sheets of plain cardstock in coordinating colors as well. These will help you to achieve a 3-dimensional "layered" look.

Step 2) Cut out all of the stickers you'll need to spell "Love Coupons." It's easier to arrange letters when you can position them individually before sticking them to your cardstock. Play around with the spacing until you're happy with the result.

Step 3) Trim the excess paper from around the edge of the word "Love." Thread your needle with approximately three feet of crewel thread or embroidery floss. Pierce the paper with your needle and pull the thread through, leaving a short "tail" of about an inch. Tape the take to the back of the cardstock to secure it and sew a simple running stitch border around the edge of your lettering.

Step 4) Glue the decorated cardstock onto the base.

Step 5) Embellish your cover with a multi-layered flower. You can cut out the petals yourself or purchase a pre-made sticker. Either way, we recommend adding a few hearts, some rhinestones and plenty of glitter to jazz it up.

The Coupons

Step 1) Create your coupon pages in the same manner that you created your cover.

Step 2) Embellish your pages with cardstock cutouts that relate to the theme of each coupon. For our Bubble Bath coupon, we cut out three separate rows of “bubbles” then layered them on top of each other to give our bathtub a 3-D look. For our Dessert Coupon, we cut a three-tiered layer cake shape out of cream colored cardstock then embellished it with flower petals also cut from cardstock, rhinestones and fake pearls. Add a running stitch to the bottom to simulate frosting or a row of heart-shaped glitter stickers, or both!

Step 3) Write an explanation on each coupon such as "This coupon entitles you to a romantic and relaxing bubble bath" or "Your wish is my command! With this coupon I will grant 3 of your wishes but don't blow them all at once!"

The Binding

Step 1) Punch two holes through the left edge of each coupon. We recommend using an additional sheet of cardstock to create a back cover as well.

Step 2) Before punching holes through the cover of your booklet, cut a piece of cardstock measuring 2" x 4". Glue the piece to the left edge of your cover so that approximately one inch extends to the left side of the page to create your binding. Punch two holes through both the cover and the binding, then punch two additional holes through the binding on the opposite edge. Glue the opposite edge to the back cover, lining up the holes in the binding and the back cover.

Step 3) Close your booklet and sandwich your coupon pages between the front and back covers. The holes should line up through each layer.

Step 4) Cut a piece of ribbon that's about 18" long. Thread each end through one of the holes then tie a bow. Alternatively, you can use two pieces of ribbon and thread a loop through each of the two holes individually.

Step 5) Wrap your booklet in tissue paper or a colorful envelope, then present it to your sweetheart for their birthday or an upcoming holiday. They'll be touched by your thoughtfulness and you won't have to brave the mall.

Helpful Tips

The sky is the limit! You can pick up special scrapbooking scissors to add zigzags or scalloped edges to your cut outs. Glitter glue is also lots of fun, just be sure to let it dry completely before assembling your booklet.

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