I’m sitting here surrounded by 10 inches of the white stuff courtesy of the 2026 Snowmageddon. Despite the bitterly cold temps, we were very lucky to have avoided the ice and any power failures associated with this historically large storm. I’m also very fortunate to be able to tuck away inside, wrapped in my favorite furry blanket, and work on a new cross-stitch piece.
Life is frosty but good, and while the world outside turns white and silent, I’m leaning in on some darker, more romantic pursuits. Today, we’re taking the DIY Gothic Valentines inspired by classic horror novels from last week and adding a simple twist that turns those love letters into delightfully dark horror novel Valentine decor. If that makes your dark heart flutter, then let’s get started.
For this project, we will need:
Printer paper
Color printer (not pictured)
Scissors or straight edge with finger blade
Scoring board with bone folder/scoring tool (optional, but helpful)
Adhesive – I’m using double-sided adhesive tape
Hot glue
2 – 2 1/2” circle punch (optional)
We will also need the Classic Horror Novel Pages (plus last week’s Horror Novel Valentine Collection) from the Haunted Library. This file includes a printable page from each of five tales of terror: Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart, Mary Shelley: The Modern Prometheus or Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Bram Stoker: Dracula, and Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray.
To begin, open the PDF in your favorite reader (FoxIt, Adobe, etc.). Set your printer to landscape (not portrait) mode, and print 2 copies of the desired book page. For a denser rosette, you can print 3 copies. After printing, I aged my paper to give it a more beloved book look, but this is completely optional.
Using scissors or a straight edge and blade, cut the page in half lengthwise. When cut properly, you will have two pieces that measure 4.25” high by 11” wide. Repeat for each page.
Now that your pieces are ready, lay one page onto the scoring board. Be sure the text faces up and is aligned along the top of the board.
Using the bone folder, gently score the paper at 1/2” intervals. Repeat with each paper piece.
Fold the paper along the score marks, accordion-style, across the full width of each sheet. I like to alternate the direction of the folds. For example, if the first page I start the fold upward, then the second page I will start downward. I continue alternating for each page. This allows you to nestle the ends together more easily in the next step.
If you don’t have a scoring board, no worries. You can use a ruler and make a fold 1/2” away from the end of the paper, and make the folds by hand. Don’t get too concerned if your folds aren’t perfect. That adds to the charm of the finished piece.
Lay out your pages with the alternating ends. Run a strip of adhesive along the edge of the last fold of the first sheet and nestle the first fold of the second sheet into place.
Continue connecting the pieces until you have one long strip.
Glue the two remaining ends together, forming a circle.
Cut two 2 – 2 1/2” circles using a circle punch or freehand with scissors.
Stand your page circle on end with the text facing outward and upside down, then gently push the top part of the circle toward the center while holding the edges down. This will flatten the circle into the rosette shape. (And, yes, you really could use more than two hands to do this, but you will prevail.)
Once the rosette is flattened, push the edges inward to close the gap in the center.
Apply a liberal amount of hot glue at the center, then cover with the rosette’s cardstock circle to secure. Hold in place until the glue sets up.
Print out the dark scalloped heart, horror author heart, and banner from the Horror Novel Valentine Collection.
Center the author’s heart onto the scalloped heart and glue it into place, then glue on the banner. See the tutorial for the DIY Gothic Valentine for more ideas and information.
Lastly, glue the heart assembly onto the rosette.
Now use your dark heart decor to deck your haunted halls. Suspend the rosettes on monofilament, string together to form a banner, or tuck into a wreath. I opted to lean my horror novel Valentine decor on an easel next to a copy of its spine-tingling tale.
With darkness and devotion, Happy Valentine’s Day!
Until next time – stay spooky.