Paint Chip Matchbook Valentine Treats

Last updated on January 17th, 2025 at 11:27 pm

These dainty little paint chip, matchbook-style treat sleeves make delightful Valentines for friends. Since they are small and cheap to make, I tuck lots of them in my pockets just ahead of Valentine’s Day. They are natural smile makers so I hand them out to all sorts of people in our little town, from our letter carrier, to the friendly woman in the pet food place, my neighbours and the cashiers at the grocery store.

Paint Chip Matchbook Treats

You won’t need much to put these sweet Valentines together.

1.  Collect as many paint chip cards as you feel comfortable taking from the free display in the department store.
2.  Buy small ziploc bags and Valentine candies to fit inside.
3.  Assemble simple tools:  a pencil, stapler, scissors and optional paper punch.

To fancy things up, you’ll also need bits and pieces for decorating the front of the sleeve.

I used a daisy paper punch on some sleeves and attached craft foam hearts to others. Valentine stickers or rubber stamps work great, along with tiny embellishments such as lace scraps or a homemade dinner fork ribbon bow.

Assembly isn’t hard either:

Add Valentine candies to a small ziploc bag. These tiny plastic bags are at dollar stores or craft stores like Michaels.  You can also buy Small Ziplock Bags from Amazon (affiliate link), in sizes from 1 inch square on up.  Mine were 1.5 inches square but you can easily adjust the size of the paint chip sleeves to suit.

Paint chip cards usually have some printing on the painted side to identify the paint colors.  I just noted the side of the printing, turned to the back of the card, placed the ziploc bag against the “no print” side, then drew a line just beside the bag, running straight up from the bottom to the top of the card.

The paint chip card will be longer than you need, so you’ll have some leeway on the range of colors appearing on your treat sleeve. Choose the bottom color and cut it down to a half inch all the way across.

Fold the half inch strip to the wrong side to make the bottom tab of your treat sleeve.

Place the ziploc bag under the bottom tab, making sure it is pushed all the way down to the fold.  Staple as close to the bottom edge as possible.

Fold the top section over the top of the ziploc bag.  It should overlap the bottom.  Hold the sleeve sideways to see how things are fitting and cut the top to fit inside the tab.

Slip the bottom edge of the top under the bottom tab to finish your paint chip Valentine craft.

Decorate Your Paint Chip Valentine Treats

Here’s where you can jazz things up however you like:  use a daisy paper punch to add flower cut-outs to the front, or apply self-adhesive foams, as I did.  But no need to stop there; cover one top corner in lace, rubber stamp a Valentine design, apply rub-on decals or  self-adhesive stickers.

Another pretty way of offering a mini Valentine treats is by slipping little chocolates or candies into pretty little homemade giftbags, just a few inches high. For a romantic, scented gift for someone close to you, make Paper Doily Scented Sachets or craft a bunch of lovely, luscious Chocolate Kisses Rosebuds.

Variations of Valentine Matchbook Sleeves: