Making Valentines is a great craft that can also teach writing, cutting, and gluing skills. Just a little paper and imagination makes this project fun!
February is coming and you want some unique Valentines to give out to friends, classmates and family. Do you plan to buy pre-made cards? Why not make your own Valentines? Sure, you can do it! Not too many years ago, people made all their own Valentine cards. The ones for sale are so-so and most don’t even seem clever or funny. Well, the greatest fun can be had designing and creating your own. Here’s how to make them yourself!
What You Need
Here is what you’ll need for the Valentine Day project:
- red, white, and pink paper
- scissors
- glue
- crayons or colored pencils
- stapler
- hole punch
- stickers
- ribbons
- buttons
- paper doily hearts
- candy
- glitter
Note: You might want to pick some bright colored construction paper, copier paper, (It comes in hot pinks, fluorescent colors and neon colors.) or use patterned scrapbooking paper.
Find A Work Surface
Now find a tabletop or desk top where you can spread out your supplies and start creating. First decide on the size card wanted.
- Are you planning to make many cards or only a few special ones?
- Look at the size doilies and stickers you have.
- Are you planning to write much—a poem maybe?
- Will you want to put it in an envelope? What size envelopes do you have or can you make one to fit the card you make?
Next, choose a background paper and fold it. Don’t be scared when you decide how the card will open. Try something unusual. Make it open from the bottom, sideways, or backwards. I like to make my basic card a solid white or red and then decorate with cutouts from the pattern covered scrapbooking papers.
Candy Cards
Kids love to get cards with conversation hearts glued to them. It is also a winner to pass out cards that you have attached a small piece of candy or a sucker to. You can attach the suckers, Smarties,Tootsie Rolls, Sixes, Sweet Tarts, or other indiviually wrapped candies to the card by stapling, if you use heavy paper for the card. Otherwise, tape the candy in place, punch a hole to stick it through, or tie with a length of ribbon.Try baking heart cookies to give out as Valentines!
Heart Shape Decorated Cards
Fold your decorated or colored paper in half and cut out heart shapes by cutting a half heart shape (like the curve of a human ear) starting at the fold and curving up to form the hump of the heart and curving down again to a point on the same fold. When you unfold the paper you should have a heart that is the same on both sides. Make the hearts tall and slender, short and fat, rounded, or even squared. Keep cutting hearts until you get the hang of shaping the hearts. Experiment with arrangements until you find one you like. Then glue the hearts in place. Arrange these along with doilies and stickers and candies on the card front. Add glitter for a special effect. Trim the edges with scrapbooking scissors.
Paper Airplane Cards
Some children might like to make cards that fold into the shape of a paper airplane. Who says Valentine cards have to be heart shaped? Determine where the folds should go and prefold the airplane or dot lines with black ink where the folds should go. Write a message and sign the card. Add a stick of gum for the weight. These will be popular with boys or girls.
Crayon Outline Cards
Try this: Take a paper heart and lay it on the folded card. Now use the side of a crayon to scribble around the outer edge of the heart. You will color on both the heart and the background. Then when you lift off the heart a fun heart shape will be left on your card. Write something in the heart’s center. (See message suggestions below.)
A Bookmark Card
Make your card useful. Make it a bookmark. Cut heavy paper in 2 by 8 inch strips. Decorate this strips with stickers or even canceled postage stamps. Or write a Bible verse, quotation about friendship, or proverb on it. Cover the card with contact paper and trim the edges. Use a hole punch to make a hole in the top of the bookmark. Cut a six inch ribbon to pull through the hole. Fold the ribbon in half. Pass the (folded end) through the hole from the front. When the loop is above the paper put the ribbon end back and through the loop which should attach it to the bookmark. Add a button to the front by passing the ends of the ribbon through the holes and fastening it. For more instructions see Bookmark article.
Message Suggestions Here
The old-timey cards had messages that were puns like: “Bee mine, Honey!” with a honey bee on a heart. Try just a simple Happy Valentine’s Day. Here are some ideas for card greetings depending on who the card is sent to.
- Best friends!
- Always friends—to the end.
- Faith, Hope, Love—the Greatest is Love.
- Friendship is a blessing.
- Thanks for being a sweet sister.
- You are a great brother.
- Dad—you are the Best!
- Happy Heart Day.
- This card brings you a Hearty Hello!
- My heart sings when I think of you.
- Thanks for being my friend.
- Mother is a wonderful word for love.
- A friend loves at all times.
- You are a special friend.
- I think you are sweet.
- S.S.A.Y.G.F. (Stay sweet and you’ll go far)
- I love having you for a friend.
- I love you.
- Be sweet as always.
- My heart is yours.
- Let’s be friends.
- Friends are friends forever!
- Friends. That’s me and you.
- God is love.
- You’re sweet as sugar.
Don't forget to sign your name inside the cards. Have fun! With some glue and a little imagination you can have cards to give to your parents, siblings, friends, and classmates that will be unique and will be treasured.
Other Valentine's Day Crafts and Ideas
Games for Valentine Parties ; Fabric Heart craft
