Framed Vintage Valentines

When we cleaned out my parents’ house this summer, we came across these vintage Valentines from my mother’s childhood. You’ve heard me say before that I believe in enjoying all of my inherited keepsakes, rather than just packing them away in a box, so of course these special Valentines needed to make an appearance.

Several of them are dated from 1951, when my mom was in kindergarten. 💕

I particularly love the one signed from Mom Smith and Daddy Carl, who were her beloved grandparents, and marked with an XO. My mom also signed all her cards with X’s and O’s and now I can see where she got it from. ❤️

It was so fun to look through all of these Valentines and imagine my mom receiving them at her kindergarten school party. They deserve to come out of hiding for awhile and be displayed and enjoyed.

I didn’t want to damage them however, so I decided to display them, collage-style, in a frame. They aren’t affixed with any kind of adhesive at all. I just arranged them on the glass in a slightly overlapping fashion, and then carefully reattached the back of the frame, so that the Valentines are pressed tightly against the glass to hold them in place.

When Valentine’s Day is over, I can simply remove them, undamaged, from the frame, and tuck them safely away in their box again.

Tip: If you like this look, but don’t have any true vintage valentines, you can certainly use modern Valentines, or there are many places online where you can print out faux vintage valentines.

For now, I get to enjoy my mom’s vintage valentines, prominently displayed in my living room, as a sweet reminder that Valentines Day is a way of celebrating those we love… the ones who are still here with us, and the ones who have gone on ahead. ❤️ 💕

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31 thoughts on “Framed Vintage Valentines

  1. Oh my goodness Niky! I was recently given Valentine cards, amongst others I had gifted to my grandparents growing up. I have them in a box, but have been wanting to do something with them. This is perfect! I cannot wait to get started so I can display them in my home, along with all of the memories I shared with my grandparents over the years! You are an inspiration! Thank you for linking up to Whimsy Home Wednesday!

  2. I love this project and all of these wonderful vintage Valentines, Niky!
    You’ll be featured this week at the Creative Crafts Linky Party!
    Creatively, Beth

  3. Hey there, Niky! What a lovely idea to share your mother’s Valentines… I do like frames artwork but never get around to making much. Glad you created yours! Pinned, of course. <3 I'll share a few old and vintage ones I found when we still lived in Southern California soon.

    Enjoy your weekend and I am sorry I didn't get back over until now (Saturday). I've been falling asleep wickedly early each night (insomnia + work = tired) and just didn't finish visiting everyone until today. Happy almost Valentine's Day to you!!!

    Hugs,
    Barb 🙂

    1. I’d love to see your vintage valentines! I can relate to the falling asleep early part too. I think it’s all the stress of life of late. By the time I crawl into bed thiking I’ll watch some TV and unwind, my body just shuts down. Then I’m wide awake at 2am. :-0
      Have a good week!

  4. What a fabulous idea! Bring those memories back to life and don’t let them just waste away in a box. Love it. Featuring when my party opens up tonight. Thanks for sharing!

  5. I so love what you did with your vintage Valentine cards!
    So creative you are!!!
    Keep up the great blogs/ideas!

  6. I have some of my grandmother’s Valentines. They are from 100 years ago! So precious to read them. I display them every year. Love it!

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