Estimated time to make this valentine:
As long as U like!

Appropriate age group(s):
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Materials:
Index cards (unlined), plain white or colors

Old magazines, catalogs, advertising inserts

Glue stix (or rubber cement, for older crafters; watch the fumes!)

Heart stickers

Red ribbon to wrap it up, or an envelope and More stickers!

Cellophane tape

Instructions:
This reminds me of "ransom notes" like in the movies, but with a positive spin.

You cut phrases out of the catalogs and magazines, and combine them on the page to make Love messages. The more you love this person, the longer and Crazier the card can be. When one card is full, you add another (join cards by taping a full-length "seam" across the back)...and another, and another... and when you have said all you want to, you can place stickers on it for more decoration. The card folds up small, accordian-style. Tie it up pretty with the red ribbon, or place in the envelope w/more stickers, and All your Luv, and give it to that special someone. It's an Extra Postage mailing item, but worth it if your love has to travel long distance.

Other comments or suggestions to consider:
I used to make these for my husband when he was deployed with the Navy. We didn't have children then; the days could get long, so those cards got pretty long! ;-) Port calls are rare, and phone calls could be a bittersweet thing; nobody has that much to say, yet neither person wants to hang up. A month later, here comes the phone bill, couple hundred bucks worth...owwww! Let's hear a cheer for e-mail, which will eventually get to most of the fleet.

Yeah, I know the whole project could be done on computer. You could pick little poems, and print them on index cards, using different cool fonts, and string those together. You can use a whole palette of colors in the cards. However you choose to try it, the project still works for Rainy Days or snow days.

My favorite source of really superlative phrases for the collage-type message cards was the little Avon catalogs, or anything similar. Some of the ads in the coupon section of newspapers would also be good. The Lovers version would have phrases like "feel the heat" or "silky smooth skin" or "breathtaking!"...and the back of the cards could be sprayed with a mist of cologne.

The kid version, of course, is way more Tame. You can still choose words like "warm and wonderful; timeless; hug; unique; sensitive, caring...and create a card suitable for sending your neighbor or your Grandma.

I kept a small tin or box on hand, and when I came across Crazy Phrases, I would clip them out, and stash them in the can, so I would have a big assortment to just play around with when I finally got around to making the actual card. One card ended up being about 5 feet long. You could punch a hole at the top of the card and attach a loop for hanging on the wall.

And while Mom makes her "whoa, baybee, I Luv U!" card for Dad (or vice versa) it's a teachable moment for pointing out how advertisements zing in on our emotions to move products.