52 Things I Love About You

You have probably seen this idea around and it really is one of those sweet little gems that can be customised to suit a whole variety of people and occasions!

 

I created a set of these for my daughter when my husband and I went away on our honeymoon - it was the first time I had been so far away from her for that length of time and I wanted her to know that I was thinking of her even when we weren't together. I wanted her to know that she was so loved and important to me even though our family had grown!

I also made a set of these for my dad on his 52nd birthday and he was so touched by how personal each card was that the amount spent was never given a moments thought. With his set I asked for my daughter and husband's contributions and also included some of my favourite photos of him, such as when he walked me down the aisle, aswell as quotes about dad's that reminded me of him.

That is the beauty of home-made gifts ... with a little time and creativity you can give a gift so much more thoughtful than store bought items, gift vouchers or cash.

This would also make a wonderful Valentine's Day gift for your loved one, you could write Weekly Date Night or Family Outing ideas on each of them, or perphaps create a mini book to pop into your handbag for the little ones? You're really only limited by your imagination!

So Here are the Instructions ...

You'll need to purchase:

A deck of cards ... for something different try the jumbo cards!
Something to thread the cards together if you choose to do so, such as a ring binder, ribbon or string.

From home items:

Computer, printer, paper
Scissors
Glue Stick
Hole Punch, should you choose to thread the cards together.

1.  Write down 52 things you love about the recipient! Think about things they say, do, enjoy, things you have done together, or like I described above, you could include pictures and input from other people or quotes that remind you of them.

2. Using Word for Windows, create a text box. Set the height to 6cm and the width to 3cm. (You could take the width up to 4cm if you prefer.) You could format the text box to have a border around it or play around with the colours. I like to keep it simple with a double line black border.

3. Click within the text box and write number 1, along with the first thing you love about them. I used the font Curlz for my daughter's set and Ar Christy for my dad's set, both at size 14. Again, adapt it to suit your own preferences!

4. Copy and Paste this text box another 51 times ... then change each of the numbers and things that you love one by one.

5. Print, cut and glue each text box onto the deck of cards. (For my daughter's set I actually printed them onto sticker paper, which you can purchase from Ebay or the likes of Office Works, to eliminate the need to glue).

6. Punch a hole in the cards. I like to have the hole at the top left hand corner and then thread a binder ring through them all (you can purchase these from stationary shops or art and craft shops). Alternatively, you could punch two holes in the side like a little book and you could thread the cards together using string or ribbon, or if you have stuck your '52 things' onto the backs of the cards then you could pop them back into their box as is and they could still be used as a playing set!

 

If you would prefer to skip the fiddly little step of creating the text boxes yourself, or you aren't even remotely tech savvy, then you could simply download my template here and personalise it.

Love Nat xxx