Valentine’s Day is one of the best holidays where we can celebrate our love for our family, friends and neighbors. Take advantage of all the fun and creative possibilities of this holiday by trying out these easy, at-home crafts with your little ones!
Nature-Inspired Cards
Everyone loves getting a Valentine’s Day card from a child, but what is better than a card inspired by nature? Go for a nature walk and find materials for your cards — it could be anything from leaves to seeds, acorns and flowers.If you need inspiration, then check out these adorable ideas. You’ll want to make one for everyone in the family! Supplies: Leaves, seeds, acorns, grasses, paper, glue, construction paper and a little imagination.
Heart T-Shirts
Share the fun of this holiday by wearing your heart on your shirt the entire day! Pick up an assortment of plain t-shirts and fabric paint.Paint a heart, or many hearts, on the shirt using your child’s fingertips, and then sport your Valentine pride! This shirt is so delightful you’ll want to wear it every day of the year!
Supplies: Kids t shirts, red or pink fabric paint and clean fingertips.
Heart Apple Stamps
Purchase a few apples from your local grocery store, and carve them into heart shapes. Let your little one dip the apple heart into paint, and then stamp the shape onto a piece of paper or a card. This can be applied to t-shirts, too!
Supplies: Apples, acrylic paint, and paper. Use fabric paint for t-shirts.
Candy Cookie Pops
Sweeten up your Valentine’s Day with some candy cookie pops. Work on motor skills while you whip up a yummy treat.Place popsicle or cookie pop sticks into heart-shaped sugar cookies. Then, cover the cookie with frosting and your favorite Valentine’s Day candy.
Supplies: Popsicle sticks or cookie pop sticks, heart sugar cookies, frosting and Valentine’s candy.
Fruit Leather Fortune Cookie
Try this tasty version of the fortune cookie. Write sweet Valentine’s Day sayings and greetings on small pieces of paper. Cut fruit leather circles with a biscuit cutter or top of glass jar.Place the paper inside of the fruit leather, and lightly press the edges. Wrap with parchment paper and gift!
Supplies: Biscuit cutter or glass cup, a small piece of paper and pen or marker, fruit leather and parchment paper for wrapping.
Heart Pipe Cleaner Bouquet
Create a beautiful bouquet of flowers that won’t fade after Valentine’s Day. Bend red and pink pipe cleaners into flower shapes, add stems and leaves. Wrap the bouquet with one pipe cleaner, and give to a sweet Valentine
Supplies: red, green and pink pipe cleaners, plus green felt, a pencil and scissors.
Hand and Foot “Love” Poster
Make a craft that you will cherish for a lifetime. Write out the “L” and “E” of LOVE, in red or pink paint on a t-shirt or poster board leaving space for the “O” and “V”.Dip your little one’s handprint in paint and stamp the hand for the “O.” Next, dip both of their feet in the paint and stamp their feet together to form a “V”
Supplies: Poster board or a plain t-shirt, red or pink paint, and some cute hands and footsies.
Button Valentine’s Cards
Use up your extra button stash or buy a package of colored buttons at a craft store. Glue an arrangement of buttons in a heart shape onto the thick construction paper, and write a note to your valentine! This craft would look great on a t-shirt, too.For a truly special gift, frame the t-shirt for mom or dad.
Supplies: Buttons (ideally red and pink), thick construction paper or a plain t-shirt, and glue.
Crayon Hearts
Grab all your broken crayon pieces and make them into something your child’s friends will love! Remove the labels and break up old crayon pieces and place into a heart silicone cookie tray. Warm in the oven on 250 degrees for 15 minutes or until the crayon pieces completely melt.Have your child give each child in their class this special crayon on Valentine’s Day as a token of their friendship.Supplies: Old crayons and a heart silicone cookie tray.
Butterfly Sucker Valentine’s
Try this homemade valentine that is sure to brighten your day. Cut the shape of butterfly wings in construction paper, and cut two small slits (1/4 inch) in the middle of the butterfly. Slip a sucker through the slits, and write out your message to your valentine.
Supplies: Lollipops, tape, markers and construction paper.
One Big Heart Poster
This is a great idea for a grandparent’s gift on Valentine’s Day. Prepare a number of different acrylic paints on a plate, and draw an outline of a large heart on white poster board or a plain t-shirt.Let your little ones dip their hands in paint, and fill in the heart with their handprints. Let the children get creative with the placement and colors inside the heart.Supplies: Paint, white poster board or a t-shirt, and little hands.
Chocolate-Coated Pretzel Hearts
Whip up a sweet treat that everyone will love. Melt some white melting chocolate, and add red food dye drops to create a pink (less) or red (more) chocolate. Dip the pretzels into the chocolate and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.Add candy adornments if desired. Allow to fully cool and harden before enjoying
Supplies: Large pretzels, white melting chocolate, baking sheet, parchment paper, candy adornments and red food dye.
Coffee Filter Heart Garland
Cut coffee filters in the shape of a heart. Allow your child to color with red or pink markers. Run these along a string to make a heart garland.Supplies: White coffee filters, red or pink markers, and string.
Stained Glass Valentine Heart
This gorgeous stained-glass heart is crafted from a plastic milk jug and is sure to be admired! Little ones will need an adult to do the cutting and hole punching but will have lots of fun tearing up and gluing the tissue paper\Supplies: large plastic milk bottle, hole puncher, scissors, tissue paper, glue stick and a ribbon.