DIY Valentine’s Day greetings that are made with love beat out store bought cards every time. Here are fun, easy and inexpensive ways for you and your kids to share the love with family and friends.
Stamp It
Stamping designs on plain paper is an easy way for kids to create their own Valentine’s cards. But instead of buying pre-cut rubber stamps, try stamping with things you have already available. Paper towel or toilet paper cardboard rolls are easy for little hands to hold and can be bent into the shape of a heart for stamping. Make a pretty bouquet of flowers with a bunch of celery. Just cut off most of the stalk, leaving a few inches of the base to use as the stamp. Even your little ones’ tiny thumbs can make an adorable heart stamp. Washable paint (Crayola makes one) makes for an easy clean-up.
Print it
Valentine’s cards that download onto your home computer and print out are free on Disney (click here) or Xerox websites. Disney cards include cute Mickey and Minnie Valentines and Xerox has lots of kids Valentine’s choices including fun animal, heart and flower designs. Make them your own by adding a personalized greeting.
Add a tasty treat to your Valentine’s Day cards by attaching a small snack bag of kid-favorite goldfish crackers. The perfect greeting? I’m Hooked on You cards that are downloadable and free (at onecraftyplace.com).
Color It
Show off everyone’s artistic talents with Valentine’s themed coloring pages, click here. The Crayola website has free designs to print out with teddy bears, hearts, and even Valentine’s bingo game pages.
Catch It
Kids can make pretty Valentine’s Sun Catchers with red, pink and white tissue paper. All you need is clear contact paper (shelf paper). Cut small shapes out of the tissue paper and arrange in an overlapping pattern covering the sticky side of a sheet of contact paper. Then take another sheet and place it sticky-side down over the collage of tissue paper. Cut the collage into heart shapes and attach a ribbon to hang it. Perfect for decorating your windows or as a thoughtful little gift.
Shape It
Valentine’s Day parties wouldn’t be complete without a few sweet treats. Healthy fruit snacks are always welcome in the classroom or at kids parties. Fruit hearts are easy to make with mini heart-shaped cookie cutters. Slice watermelon, honeydew or apples and use the cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes. Or make kiwi fruit circles using a mini cutter cookie cutter to shape a heart in the middle of a slice.
Bake It (without sugar!)
Share the love with heart-shaped cookies made with natural sweeteners like stevia or truvia instead of sugar. Sugar Heart Cookies with Truvia are quick and easy to make and taste great. Kids can help cut out the shapes too.
Raspberries and oats combine into a tasty, good-for-you snack in this Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Bars with Truvia recipe. They’re perfect to take to your kid’s classroom Valentine’s party.