AW #013 – A Wooden Valentine’s Day Card

The Avid Woodworker | Woodworking | Finding that Work - Family - Woodworking Balance | Leh Meriwether

A Woodworker’s idea of a Valentine’s day card

Ok, I don’t know about you, but while I love to get nice things for my wife, I hate paying $6 to $10 for a flipping valentines day card. I still do it from time to time,but when I can, I like to make my own card. I got married nearly 14 years ago. Our first valentines day as a married man, I decided to make my own Valentine’s Day card . . . out of wood. This was around 2001, so I was just beginning to get more and more into woodworking.

I did not have many tools, but I did have a pile of scrap wood at the time. So, I took two scrap pieces, free handed the shape of a cool heart, and cut out two hearts using a cheap jigsaw (I still own it and it is time for an upgrade). I then used my router I had gotten as a wedding present to round over the edges (how is that for a wedding present). I painted the hearts red, attached a small hinge, and then, using a black sharpie, wrote my own passage to my Wife. In case you were interested, here is what it said:

“To the most beautiful wife a husband could ever ask for:
From the moment I met you, I knew you were something special. When you made me a card for your 1st Valentine’s Day, I knew I could not let you go. So, for our 1st Valentines day together as husband and wife, I wanted to get you something from my heart and soul and mind rather from a store, Love Leh”

Use Woodworking to let her know you care

Ok, I hope that I did not get too mushy for you. But, even if you are not normally a very mushy kind of woodworker, that is ok, because I had one heck of a Valentine’s Day (if you know what I mean). My Wife still has that card. She has put it in her cabinet called Aunt Molly. Aunt Molly is a cabinet built entirely by hand about 175 years ago and has been in her family that long. It has personal items in it from various family members, including items from a great, great, great grandfather who fought in the Spanish-American war. So, it meant a great deal to her.

Have you ever made a Valentine’s Day card out of wood? If not, try it. You can do it in a weekend, and it it may be the best card she ever got.

You can make it however you want – paint it, stain it, you can use MDF if you are painting it. It does not have to be fancy, but you can make it that way if you have the time. Listen to the podcast for other things you can do.

My “card” was about 8 inches across, but make yours however you want. There is no ‘cut’ list for this one.

Shout Outs

Thanks to Aaronlee who posted a Five Star review on iTunes: “Thumbs Up! Leh, Just happened upon this podcast and finished listening to your first episode. As a practicing engineer working 50-60hrs a week myself, I can relate to the issues a work schedule coupled with spending time with the significant other can have on finding shop time…much less project time! I look forward to listening to them all and hope that you will have more to come in 2014!”

Sean Rubino – commented on the website
Hi Leh,
I was wondering if you have heard of GA Sawmill Services? I believe they are in Fayetteville. I was on the phone with a friend last night and he told me the bought nearly 10 BF of spalted figured maple for $20! That was a single 8/4×7″x96″ board. Here in CA that would run well over $100. Just wanted to let you in on that source.
Keep up the good work with your cast.

He has his own blog at http://spunjinworks.wordpress.com/ and he recent participated in a community build started by Chris Wong of Flair Woodworks called the “Shop Stool Build-Off.”

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