On Valentine’s Day, Obies gathered in Cat in the Cream to craft their own love letters to the important people in their lives —partners, friends, and family — or to make a personal affirmation to tape to their mirror or above their dorm room desk. Crafting is a great way to add a personal touch to a message. Letters carefully illustrated with intricate pen designs or boldly made with
cavalier sharpie swoops speak so much louder than printed Hallmark remarks. For those who are not skilled with meter or rhyme, collages of cut paper, hand-drawn hearts, and Elmer’s glue can form
their own kind of poetry.

“Crafting someone a card is a nice way to show you care about them without participating excessively in consumerism, especially around Valentine’s Day, as it’s a holiday designed for people to unnecessarily spend money,” College second-year Emily Amen-
da said. “I made a cute little card for my roommate with a joke in it about how she should smile more. I made a slightly nicer card for my best friend and I kept one with googly eyes to give to my boyfriend.”

College first-year Ida Rosenstein said she liked to use Valentine’s Day “as an excuse to be sappy and write overly sentimental cards to my friends.”

“Making Valentine’s Day cards reminds me a lot of elementary school, when they would have it as a class activity, so it’s partly nostalgia as well,” Rosenstein added.

Communal crafting is also a great time to socialize with others.

As scissors snip and colored pencils fill hearts, crafters can laugh, talk, and catch the latest gossip about this year’s Valentine’s Day drama.