How to Design Custom Valentine’s Day Badges

Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to spread a little love - whether it’s with friends, partner, your team at work, or your school community. It’s a day that can be embraced not just for romance, but as a way of showing appreciation towards those around you. 

What better way to celebrate the day than with custom badges that say exactly what you want them to? From cute classroom tokens to quirky Galentine’s gifts, personalised badges can add a thoughtful (or cheeky) twist to the day.

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, because we’re here to help with a quick guide to designing your own Valentine’s Day badges that hit the sweet spot.

Popular Colours and Shapes for Valentine’s Badges

When it comes to Valentine’s Day colours, there are certainly no surprises here: they’re the classic reds, pinks, and other light pastels - and all of these really shine on a custom Valentine’s Day badge. A classic red base with white or gold text always stands out; but if you’re aiming for something softer, try out tones reminiscent of dusty rose, blush pink, or lavender for a more whimsical vibe. Now, if you really want to stand out among the usual colour tones that are the typical fare for Valentine’s, you can go bold with black, hot punchy pinks, or even work in a glitter-style effect for that extra bit of unique character.

On the shapes front, the classic cartoon heart is undoubtedly where plenty of people go, but circular badges are also a wonderful option - it’s a timeless shape option and also offers a bit more space for an additional message, whether you’re devoting it to your love or a dear friend. If you want a good amount of space, square and rectangular badges are a good choice. You can also easily work in heart graphics and other nice design elements to complement the shape and colour you opt for.

Creative Valentine’s Day Badge Design Trends

Each year brings its own design trends, and Valentine’s badges are no different. But similarly, certain trends endure and can be a fantastic choice for a Valentine’s badge of your own (or for others). Here are some ideas that are proving popular:

• Retro-inspired typography - There are plenty of classics here, including bubbly fonts you’d see in the 60s and 70s, rainbow gradients (which can also be a great choice for celebrating Valentine’s Day within the LGBTQIA+ community), or 70s-style graphics (bold hearts, flowers, etc.) for a nostalgic twist.
• Minimalist love notes - Sometimes a single word can say more than a hundred words ever could hope to. Minimalist love notes are a great option on this front, with crisp simplistic designs and a single word or understated line drawing. Simple but sweet.
• Playful puns - Everyone loves a good (or not-so-good) pun, even those who say they’d don’t like them. “You’re my jam”, “Donut go breaking my heart”, or a host of other puns can be used. Whether they make someone laugh, smile, or even cringe slightly in response to the corniness, puns rarely go out of style.
• Mates over dates – These are all about designs that celebrate friendships, self-love, or even team spirit - the latter being especially notable for school and workplace events.
• Pastel goth & anti-Valentine’s – Not everyone’s into the lovey-lovey vibes of Valentine’s Day, and it can be a lot of fun to create badges celebrating that fact. You can go for darker but still vibrant aesthetics (such as pastel goth), edgy phrases, or tongue-in-cheek humour that pokes fun at the day without being in bad spirit.

Tips for Personalising Your Valentine’s Badge

Whether you’re making one badge for Valentine’s Day or 100, there are several little touches that can make your design feel truly personal. 

First, keep your message short and sweet. Badges are small, so sticking to two to five words at max will keep things clear and readable. You should also take time to think about the mood you want to set: is your badge romantic, cheeky, or just friendly? Your choice of font and colour should reflect that tone. 

Adding names, dates, or even a custom message to your special someone, a mate, colleagues, or classroom goes a long way in making the badge feel more thoughtful, especially for events like class swaps, wedding favours or team gifts. 

If you’ve got your own artwork, - even something hand-drawn or a bit sketchy - it’s worth considering working into the badge’s design. Even a rough sketch holds more charm than polished stock images.

Create Custom Valentine’s Day Badges

If you’re ready to design your Valentine’s Day badge, our online Design Studio makes it easy to upload your artwork, choose your colours, and see your badge come to life in just a few clicks. Whether you’re planning a romantic surprise, team giveaway, or items for a school activity, custom Valentine’s badges are an easy way to add a personal touch.

And, as always, if you need help with design tweaks or want some guidance, you can get in touch with the team at Make Badges. We’re always happy to help.