Getting Crafty for Valentine’s Day
To me, Valentine’s Day is the craftiest of all holidays. Maybe it’s all the times I made hearts out of doilies as a kid, or remembering crafting little valentines for my classmates … or maybe it’s just the fact that a heart is like the EASIEST THING TO CUT OUT EVER. Whatever the case may be, I was feeling a little crafty, so my kids and I started a little early on our Valentine’s Day crafts just so we could share them with you.
Below are the easy directions for 15 different Valentine’s Day crafts (one for every day of February leading up to the big day plus a bonus). I was going for 14 because of Valentine’s Day being the 14th, but I guess I just got carried away and kept going. All supplies on this list were either already in my craft bin or I picked them up at the dollar store. Happy crafting! And Happy Valentine’s Day!
1. Muffin tin liner wreath. Supplies: Muffin tin liners, posterboard, tape, ribbon. Cut a large heart shape out of posterboard or cardboard (I used red posterboard in case some of it showed through). Use Valentine’s Day-themed muffin tin liners to create the “flowers” by turning them inside out and taping them to the board. You can bend and move the paper to cover the tape, so don’t worry about that. There are about 80 liners used on this wreath. Affix the ribbon to your finished project to hang.
2. Fingerprint heart valentine. Supplies: Construction paper, fingerpaint. Affix a heart cutout to a larger piece of light-colored construction paper or cardstock by gently taping it (just one or two pieces to hold it in place). Have kids use their fingers to make dots on all the “white” space, then remove the heart cutout. Leave as is or use to make a valentine.
3. Conversation heart door hanger. Supplies: Wooden/cardboard heart, conversation hearts, tissue paper, glue. I used a wooden heart that I got at the dollar store for this, and it worked really well (also already had a hanger on it). Flip the heart over and tape tissue to the perimeter. I accordion-folded mine first to give it ruffles. Then, cover the heart with glue and affix the conversation hearts. So cute!
4. Toilet paper roll heart stencils. Supplies: Toilet paper roll, fingerpaint, paper. Bend the toilet paper roll into a heart shape and tape one end to hold it in place (the other end must be tape-free to be a stencil). Dip in paint and stamp away!
5. I love you mobile. Supplies: Construction paper, ribbon, tape. Cut out a large heart for the top of the mobile. We decorated ours with glitter heart stickers from the dollar store. Write, “I love you because…” on the heart; then ask your children for reasons they love each other or you, or tell them reasons you love them. Write the reasons on smaller hearts cut out from construction paper; then, affix them with tape and ribbon at different lengths to create the mobile.
6. Heart caterpillar. Supplies: Construction paper, tape. Cut out enough hearts for the letters of your child’s name and add one for the head. You’ll also need two little pieces of paper and two little hearts for the antennae. Draw a face, write their name, and assemble with tape. Lovebug!
7. Handprint butterfly. Supplies: Fingerpaint, construction paper. Have your child make a red handprint on a lighter-colored piece of paper. Let dry. Cut two hearts out for wings and affix to the upside-down handprint. Add a face and antennae. That’s all! Makes a great valentine.
8. Bendy heart character. Supplies: Construction paper, tape. This guy is a classic. Draw a face on a heart, and then accordion fold pieces of paper for his arms and legs. Put him together with tape—and don’t forget his heart hands and feet!
9. Heart flower bouquet. Supplies: Construction paper, pipe cleaners, hole-punch, crayons/markers, jar/vase. Cut out several different-colored hearts and have your children decorate them with crayons. Punch holes in the bottom and thread the pipe cleaners through. Put in a jar or vase. I also used tissue paper in the bottom of mine to help them stand up.
10. Valentine windsock. Supplies: toilet paper roll, construction paper, tape, ribbon. Wrap the toilet paper roll in construction paper and decorate with heart cutouts or stickers. Cut several lengths of ribbon and tape them to the inside of the bottom of the toilet paper roll. Affix a ribbon loop at the top to hang. Voila!
11. Heart suncatcher. Supplies: Crayons, wax paper, construction paper, tape, ribbon, iron. Shave some old crayons with a knife on top of a piece of wax paper. Cover with another piece of wax paper and hit it with an iron on low heat—really, it takes just a second. Let it cool. Meanwhile, cut out a hollow heart shape out of construction paper. Place over cool wax paper and trace. Cut it out a little smaller than your traced line so you’re able to tape it to the heart “frame.” Affix a ribbon loop to hang. This is MUCH easier than it seems.
12. Handprint valentine. Supplies: Fingerpaint, paper. Have your child make a handprint on a piece of fingerprint paper or construction paper. Let it dry. Cut out a smaller hand in another color and place as decoration on the handprint. Then, write your valentine message next to it.
13. Owl valentine. Supplies: Paper plate, construction paper, tape. Cut out a wide heart for the owl face. I did two colors, one bigger than the other. Draw the face on and affix it to the plate. Cut out a larger heart and then split it down the middle to make the wings. Turn two smaller heart cutouts upside down for the feet. And use a skinnier heart cutout for the nose. Write your message on his belly—this one says, “Hoooooo loves you?”
14. Heart loom. Supplies: Paper plate, manicure scissors, yarn/ribbon. With the paper plate face down, poke a heart shape in the middle part using manicure scissors. Each hole will require a poke and twist of the scissors. Then, use ribbon or yarn to weave through your heart loom. If you feel like you need a “needle,” you can use a safety pin, bobby pin or pipe cleaner—but I just poked it through with the tip of the scissors. You can then affix more ribbon to the top and use it as a cute, little Valentine’s Day door hanger.
15. Mosaic valentine. Supplies: Construction paper, glue. On a lighter-colored piece of construction paper, draw a heart and write, “I love you to pieces.” Man, I love a pun! Then use smaller, cut-up pieces of construction paper to create the heart. Glue them on and go to town. My kids loved this one!
