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Valentine’s Day is probably the craftiest of holidays, but you may be in need of some fresh ideas outside of cutting out paper hearts. Never fear! These Valentine’s Day crafts for kids are adorable, and — most importantly — easy to do.
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For some of the crafts below, we spoke to artist Kelly Lynn Jones, owner of the San Francisco art shop Little Paper Planes (which has since closed), to get her tips for kid-friendly Valentine’s Day DIYs. (Other crafts here came to us by the secret magic of the internet.)
So check out these quick, cheap and easy ideas and then start working on some sweet projects with your littles. And bonus: When you’re done crafting, voilà — instant Valentine’s Day decor.
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KiwiCo.
Fingerprint hearts
Subscription toy company KiwiCo shared this idea, which is just messy enough for kids to get really into it, and personal enough that it will make an excellent gift for grandparents. All you need is a washable ink pad, scissors, glue, and two sheets of paper — card stock if you want to make this feel like a lasting treasure.
Read the full instructions on KiwiCo, (and while you’re at it, check out all their subscription options for everyday arts and STEM activities). And if you need to stock up on supplies, here are some links to help out.
Valentine’s Card Stock
Elmer’s Glue Stick 3-pack
Fiskar Scissors
Ink Pads for Kids
Image: Reality Daydream.
Beginner string art
Blog Reality Daydream has a simple tutorial for this elegant heart-shaped project. “This piece is really sweet and good for older children, so they can learn hammering nails,” Jones told SheKnows. Just make sure to supervise them.
Start with a piece of wood — 4 inches-by-4 inches is perfect. Then draw a heart on paper, place it over the wood and hammer nails in to form the outline. (A mini hammer is perfect for this if you have one.) Then remove the paper, and kids can start wrapping any color of string they like around the nails, creating a heart. Perfect.
Embroidery Floss
Image: Krokotak.
Heart-hand tree
Use an outline of your child’s hand to make a tree using this tutorial from the craft blog Krokotak. “I love this so much… for the younger kiddos,” says Jones. “Using their hands is always a great way to create a project, and this is a clever craft. Who doesn’t love a heart tree?” Once they have the cardboard tree trunk shape, kids can fill out the tree with construction paper hearts and leaves and even “carve” (write) a message on the trunk.
Prang Construction Paper
Image: Crafty Morning.
Construction paper critters
This Valentine’s-themed critter craft “is also a great moment [for kids] to learn about a variety of animals,” Jones explains. Let kids choose their own creatures; check out instructions from blog Crafty Morning for specific shapes and parts to cut from construction paper. Glue them together, add some googly eyes and voila: adorable valentine.
1000 Googly Eyes
Image: The Resourceful Mama.
Upcycled bee
Speaking of adorable valentine critters, this fun little bee craft from The Resourceful Mama is not only cute; it’s eco-friendly too. Kiddos can turn a used toilet paper tube into this creative creature. “Perfect for all ages,” says Jones.
Gather some paint, construction paper, pipe cleaners and a toilet paper roll. Paint the roll yellow, and while you’re waiting for it to dry, cut out various bee parts from the paper. Then glue or tape it all together to craft your colorful bee. Don’t forget to write, “Bee mine” — that’s the whole point, right?
Black Pipe Cleaners
Image: The Resourceful Mama for Crafty Morning.
Valentine carryall
This inventive Valentine’s craft is presented by The Resourceful Mama for Crafty Morning. Jones likes this project because there are so many ways to personalize it. “This heart purse… can be made in so many ways,” she says. “The child can paint the paper, add glitter, put their name on it, add more hearts in a variety of colors, braid the yarn — to name a few.”
Start with paper plates (cut the tops off straight across) and have your child punch holes along the plates’ edges. Then have them thread yarn through the holes. Create a strap with a piece of yarn (Jones suggests braided sections). Then start decorating. Use stickers, cutouts or anything else your little one desires. In the end, kids will have the perfect place to stash their classroom valentines.
Bernat Red Cotton Yarn
A version of this article was originally published in January 2018.
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Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity for kids to engage in fun and creative activities. Here are some adorable and easy-to-do Valentine’s Day crafts for kids:
Fingerprint Hearts
- KiwiCo shared the idea of creating fingerprint hearts, which is a messy yet personal craft for kids. All you need is a washable ink pad, scissors, glue, and two sheets of paper. This craft is perfect for creating lasting treasures and can make an excellent gift for grandparents.
Beginner String Art
- Reality Daydream provides a simple tutorial for creating an elegant heart-shaped project using string art. This project is suitable for older children and involves hammering nails into a piece of wood to form the outline of a heart. Kids can then wrap any color of string they like around the nails to create a heart.
Heart-Hand Tree
- The craft blog Krokotak offers a tutorial for creating a heart-hand tree using an outline of a child's hand. This is a clever craft that allows kids to use their hands to create a project. They can fill out the tree with construction paper hearts and leaves and even write a message on the trunk.
Construction Paper Critters
- Crafty Morning provides instructions for creating Valentine’s-themed critters using construction paper. This craft is a great way for kids to learn about a variety of animals. They can choose their own creatures, cut shapes from construction paper, glue them together, add googly eyes, and create adorable valentines.
Upcycled Bee
- The Resourceful Mama offers a fun and eco-friendly craft for creating a bee using a used toilet paper tube. This craft is suitable for all ages and involves painting the tube yellow, cutting out various bee parts from paper, and assembling them to craft a colorful bee.
Valentine Carryall
- The Resourceful Mama for Crafty Morning presents a heart purse craft that allows for personalization. Kids can paint the paper, add glitter, put their name on it, add more hearts in a variety of colors, braid the yarn, and more. This craft provides a perfect place for kids to stash their classroom valentines.
These crafts offer a range of creative and engaging activities for kids to enjoy during the Valentine’s Day season.
I hope you find these craft ideas helpful for celebrating Valentine's Day with your little ones!
