Sara says: TUT-A-LOO!

As in a tutorial! As in I'm gonna learn ya how to make a cute (and CHEAP) Valentine's decoration! Hooray!

I mentioned, like a month ago gosh, that I am all into V-Day this year. I love the colors, hearts, and whimsy!

I also love paint chips. They're free. They're colorful. And there's something rather "devil-may-care" about swiping a stack of these. Hint: pick them out of the discard pile and you'll feel better about yourself. Unless the colors are ugly, then don't.

Anyways, I've shared some paint chip ideas before, but here's one in action! Here's how to make a lovely paper chain garland.

You'll need:

<3 paint chips (the long ones)

<3 hole punches in cutesy shapes

<3 thin ribbon and/or brads (fancy ones for scrapbooking) and/or a stapler 

(depending on how you want to join the links)

Here we go! Punch out holes in the middle if you like. Go crazy! Hint: save the punched out bits.

Option 1: tie the ends together with pretty ribbon!

Option 2: punch holes in both ends with a standard-sized hole punch.

Put both ends together with a brad.

Bonus idea: this also makes a swell BOOKMARK. Awww...

TA-DA! Link your chains together as you go and you'll have yourself a garland! I used shades of red and pink for Valentimes (<- that's intentional, teehee)!

I used fancy, sparkly brads to put mine together.

Bonus idea: SUPER SEXY CONFETTI from the hole punches! Brides, now you can be hyper anal and make table confetti in your EXACT wedding hues with paint chips! Huzzah!

This is a great craft for the wee ones or anyone as obsessed with color as I am. I hope you enjoy! Don't let cupid get ya down!