DIY Pull Tab Valentine's Day Card

Fold a piece of red card stock in half and draw a heart roughly 5-inches high and 5-inches wide next to the fold.

Carefully cut around the heart shape on both pieces of paper. Leave about a 1-inch segment where the two hearts touch (on the fold), intact. Then open your "heart book."

On the front cover of your heart book draw a smaller heart, right in the center of the large heart, that measures 1¾-inches by 1¾-inches. The walls of the larger heart should be between 1¼ and 2-inches wide depending on how exactly you measured the center of your heart.

On your cutting mat, use your blade to carefully cut out the small heart in the center of the front cover of your "heart book."

Erase any pencil marks on the outline of your large heart and the smaller, heart window.

Take the white cardstock and cut a piece that is just barely larger than your heart window. Glue or tape the piece of white paper onto the inside of your "heart book" so that the white shows through the window. Write your Valentine's Day message on the white paper so that it shows through the window.

To make the pull-tab arrow, use your white paper again to draw an arrow shape with a large teardrop shape in the center. The teardrop shape should be larger than the heart window, and the pull-tab will be sturdier, if the arrow is a bit thicker. From tip to tip, my arrow measures 7½-inches long and one-inch thick (not including the teardrop shape which is about 2½-inches tall).

Cut out your arrow shape. Place the arrow in your closed "heart book" to get an idea of the size. You shouldn't be able to see any edges of the tear drop. Draw a dotted line in pencil on your tear drop shape, where the heart would be split down the middle.

Erase all pencil marks except for the dotted line. Cut along that dotted line with scissors, and then erase that line as well.

Use your black and yellow card stock to make the point of the arrow and tail more prominent. Cut out a black triangle larger than the point on the white arrow. Trace the tail of your arrow onto yellow paper, and cut out your "feather shape."

Glue the black triangle to the point of the arrow, and your tapered feather shape to the other end of the arrow. Allow the arrow point and feathers to dry completely.

Decorate the teardrop with pen, or any other decorations you might like (glitter, photos and Mod Podge, etc.) This area will show through the heart window when the card is closed, and will disappear like curtains revealing the message below when the arrow pieces are pulled. Use any method of decoration you like -- as long as it's flat.

Open your heart book and place the arrow halves inside. Carefully spread a thin layer of glue around the VERY top of the heart card, and along the VERY bottom edge, (NOT ON THE ARROW) and close the cover of the book, so that the top layer is glued to the bottom. Tip: Start with LESS glue than you think you will need. If you get ANY glue on the arrow, it won't act as a pull-tab, it will be stuck in place.

If you need to add a little glue around the edges of the heart to prevent the arrow from totally falling out, use a toothpick or needle to apply the glue carefully and sparingly. Use clothespins or your fingers to keep the card closed while the glue dries.