DIY Valentines for kids

I absolutely LOVE Valentine’s Day and I love coming up with fun DIY Valentines ideas for my kids to pass out to their classmates. 

Things have changed since I grew up, but at least one thing is still the same — kids passing out Valentines to their classmates. When I was a kid, we went to the drugstore or card store, bought a box of paper Valentines with our favorite cartoon character, addressed and signed them and we were good to go. Of course, that’s still possible and very common. But considering that Valentine’s Day is my second-favorite holiday (after Christmas) and the fact that I love to make sweet treats, my kids and I usually go a bit more DIY for the holiday of love (or like). 

Thanks to Pinterest and the Internet in general, there’s no shortage of ideas for what you can create. Some of them are pretty time-consuming, some can be costly and some just don’t turn out like they look on the computer screen. Plus, these days many schools have rules about candy at school, plus there are many food-related allergies. For this reason I’ve compiled ideas for both edible and non edible Valentines that your kids will love to make and share.

Here are several simple and affordable DIY valentines you and your kiddos can make that their classmates will love:

Some can be given just as is. But others, like the foods, will need packaging. I find a simple fold-over type baggie works great. To seal, I simply take a wide rectangle of construction paper, fold it in half the long way, place the baggie top between the two halves and staple. Then my kids can address, sign, and sticker-up the paper. Check the picture for a better idea.

If your kids are into Frozen, here are  few of my favorite Olaf-themed ideas: Wanna Build a Snowman and Melted Olaf treats. But a baggie full of Warm Hugs is adorable too as is You Melt My Frozen Heart.

These Love Bug Fruit cups are adorable and your bug color can vary depending on the type of fruit you use. If you use a low heat glue gun, the kids can do this mostly on their own, depending on their age.

Another cute fruit-based idea uses the squeeze applesauce pouches.

All it takes for these adorable “You’re a Star Valentine” is some card stock, a bag of Starbursts, craft paint in different colors (I bought some this week at AC Moore for 33 cents a bottle, and a potato–yes a potato.

Valentine’s Marshmallow Pops: Lollipop sticks can be purchased at any craft store and some grocery stores. Plain marshmallows would work just fine with these super easy and yummy treats.

Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies: This is in the running for what my daughter will pass out this year. The puddle of white frosting in the middle is the perfect place for her to personalize and sign a cookie for each of her classmates.

Valentines Pretzel M&M’s

These can be made with kisses or hugs and are so easy, my kids can make them (with a little parental guidance.) I use pretzel snaps (the ones that look like little checkerboards because I think they work better. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line rimmed cookie sheet with a single layer of pretzels. Place a chocolate kiss in the center of each pretzel. Bake for 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is softened, and remove from the oven. Immediately put an M&M on each. You will want to press down slightly so the chocolate forms a circle with the M&M in the center. Set on counter or refrigerate for 5-10 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Four or five in a little cellophane bag with a cute label is all you need.

Rice Krispie Hearts: Simple and yummy. Dip them in milk or white chocolate or leave them plain. You may decide on pops with sticks or just as is. Any way you choose, sure to be a hit.

If you’re looking for a non-food Valentine, here are some adorable ones:

You Rule: These adorable valentines are super easy to make for a whole class. All you need are some rulers and colored paper. I found our rulers on Amazon in bulk.

Kids just LOVE pens and pencils, so these cute hearts are sure to be a favorite. Keep it simple like the picture or go a little fancier.

Give a cute pencil along with a FREE printable Valentines Maze.

My daughter enjoyed making these Valentines-themed fortune tellers. I remember making these as a kid and its fun now that my kids enjoy them.

Homemade Bookmarks: My daughter loved making these because she could personalize them. Think about making some of these, too. We typed and printed different valentines sayings in 5 columns on sheets of colored printer paper. (had the setting on landscape) She added a “TO:” and “FROM:” in the middle and a cute picture on the bottom. After she addressed and signed each one, I laminated them and she cut them. You could even punch a whole at the top and add a ribbon or yarn tie. If you like to do crafty things, a laminator like this could come in handy. This style using paint sample strips is pretty cute, too.

If you’ve got a Rainbow Loomer in your house, here are lots of cute phrases and cards you can use to attach bracelets too, along with some charms and loom heart lollipops that could be a fun extra. I even found a loom valentine necklace.

We’re big into Star Wars–who isn’t lately–and have no shortage of light sabers in the house. This May the Force Be With You valentine using glow sticks was perfect for my son. For ones without a picture of your child, check out these and these. You can usually find five and 10-pack glow sticks pretty inexpensively at craft supply stores like Michaels and AC Moore, or the Target $1 bins.

I also love these FREE Star Wars printables you can simply stick to a Tic Tac box. Though I’ll admit, we did have a hard time finding all the different color Tic Tacs. But they were fun to make.

For this FREE printable coloring valentine, you’ll just need some card stock, a couple boxes of crayons, and snack bags.  Print them out and attach a bag with 3-4 new crayons.

If none of these tickle your fancy, here’s a substantial list of cheesy cute sayings along with a coordinating food to go with it. Simply pick a fun font, type up your saying multiple times, print on cardstock, cut out, and attach the food. You know things like “I chews you as my Valentine” on a package of gum, “You rock Valentine” on a package of pop rocks, or “You blow me away Valentine” on bubbles.

If you’re lucky (and crafty) you might just have all, or at least most, of the materials you’ll need to make any of these.  If not, its all fairly inexpensive, so you won’t be spending a fortune.

You might also be interested in Friendly’s Cones for Kids Valentines.