Hand-Made Valentines: 8 Favorites for Kids, and 6 for Grownups

Edible Monogram Cookies for Your Valentine | Design Mom

Valentine’s Day is this Friday. If you’re planning to help your kids make classmate valentines this year, it’s the perfect time to choose a favorite and gather any supplies. I’ve collected six really cute options here (five are candy free), and I’ve got four pretty options for grown ups too.

1) Shrinky Dink Text Message Pins. These are as fun to make as they are to give. Maybe more fun. When’s the last time you made Shrinky Dinks? They are awesome.

2) Animal Track Stamp Valentines. A great candy free option! Just order a set of stamps and use the free printable.

You Light Up My World, A Finger Light Valentine | Design Mom

3) You Light Up My World Valentines. Another easy, candy-free option. And have you ever played with one of these little finger lights? They are the coolest.

4) Mad Lib Valentines. This might be the family favorite. Several kids have made these over the years.

wild animal valentine DIY

5) I’m Wild For You Valentines.

6) Donut Valentines. This one is (obviously) not sugar free, but it’s a fun one to give. Who doesn’t love a good donut? Free printable too.

lollipop valentine photo easy

7) Lollipop Valentines. An oldie but goodie. This idea is still a true crowdpleaser.

8) Wood You Be My Valentine? This one requires a simple wood burning tool, and once you have it, we have tons of fun projects you can make with it.

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Here are six options that would be fun to make for a sweetheart or for your Galentine’s celebration.

1) Alphabet Wraps. Print and trim these, then wrap your favorite mini chocolate bars to write any message you like.

2) Felt Treat Boxes. Super charming! Fill them with something sweet, or a small piece of jewelry.

Edible Monogram Cookies for Your Valentine | Design Mom

3) Envelope Wraps. Use the simple template to make envelopes, and then fill them with whatever you like. (I recommend cookies.)

4) Citrus Sugars. Instructions for lemon, orange, and lime. With a free printable gift tag too.

5) Heart Pom Pom Bookmarks. I’m sure you know just the person who would appreciate one of these.

6) Etched Heart Keychains. Pull out your woodburner and spend an evening making something pretty.

How about you? Are you making Valentine’s Day plans yet? Have you ever thrown a Galentine’s Get together? And how are you feeling about classmate valentines this year? Sometimes I’m in the mood to get crafty, and other times, I’m all about a box of store bought options.

P.S. — Dessert for Two recipes.

12 thoughts on “Hand-Made Valentines: 8 Favorites for Kids, and 6 for Grownups”

  1. Those are all sooo cute! We’re however firmly in the card-only camp, and usually a box of store-bought. Too much stress on my kiddo to get things made (the last two years she had 25+ kids in her class, no thanks!), and also for eco/anti-materialistic reasons. It’s hard where there are SO many cute options out there – I’m glad my girl is too young to be on the internet!

  2. Sigh. For the past several years, we’ve made valentines with scissors and glue and pretty paper. We did the paper box thing one year and put candy inside the boxes. This year, we’re making a version of paper ice cream cones that we’ve done before with flat lollipops as part of the ice cream scoop. My son loves crafting, and this is the only time during the year I’m willing to make them with him. And it’s great practice to follow an assembly line and how to create a step-by-step project and to practice penmanship…

    But I just get so frustrated with him toward the middle of making them. It’s probably my creative vision clashing with his and my need to get it done clashing with his slower dexterity…

  3. Hand-made gifts are always the best ones for me!
    I love all of your ideas, Gabrielle :-)
    To me it is much more important if someone spends a lot of time in creating and producing a present for me instead of buying something very expensive.

  4. Several years ago we used your method for the lollipop photo holders, but used crazy straws instead for a non-candy option. BIG hit. But our the Valentines that were probably the most popular were small inflatable balls from the dollar store, with a tag saying “Have a ball on Valentine’s Day!” We gave them out to my daughter’s preschool classroom and the teachers loved that it was candy-free (always requested, followed less than half the time by parents), unbreakable, all the same so no tears from the littles, and the kids had a great time with them.

  5. Also, for quick but lovely personal Valentines on years when we were pressed for time, my daughter painted abstract images (think large swathes of valentine-y colors, or simple repeatable patterns) on several full-size sheets of watercolor paper, and then cut them up. We could get 10-12 painted cards from an 8 1/2 x 11 page, and more from larger ones. They are supplies we always have. I’d print up mini address label stickers that say “Happy Valentine’s Day!” and she would stick them on the back, draw a heart, and sign her name.

  6. My son is in a 3-year-old preschool class and I found a great idea for Valentines this year after a Google search for “toddler friendly Valentines”. Similar to your lollipop idea, I cut out butterfly shapes and then a variety of smaller shapes that my son glued onto the wings. Then you cut two slits in the center and slide a lollipop through to form the head and body. He had enough of an attention span to make the 6 required (and a few more) butterflies and told me what to write and who to give each to. It was awesome to do crafts together!

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