DIY Valentine’s Day Cards For Kids

By Chris Baskind in Family, Holidays, Valentine's Day

Commercial Valentine’s Day cards aren’t expensive. But helping your kids make their own can teach them that holidays come from the heart, not the store.

For just a moment, remember what it was to be a schoolchild on Valentine’s Day. You were probably given a list of all the kids in class, and it was your job to make sure each one had a Valentine. Hopefully, one that stuck out.

Things haven’t changed much. If you have children in your life, they’ll be thinking about exchanging valentines by now. It certainly wouldn’t cost much to buy a pack at your local big box department store.

Making your own makes it special

But then you’d miss an opportunity to show your kids that holidays aren’t just about making purchases. This year, why not set aside an afternoon to help them make their own Valentine’s Day cards?

They needn’t be a complicated affair. For school use, a single piece of card will do. Pull out your favorite art supplies — crayons, paints, or whatever your child enjoys. Take a notebook-sized sheet of white card stock and fold it length and edgewise, creating a crease that divides it into four sections.

Then leave it to your kid’s creativity. Have them draw, letter, and decorate a design in each of the sections. Once you’ve got four little masterpieces, set the card template aside to dry. You could scan and print it on your home computer using recycled paper stock. Or take it to your local copy store and save the wear and tear on your printer. Cut the copies into sections, and they’re ready to be filled out and signed. 

Big love

You can take card-making a step further by folding your own envelopes. Want to try a more complex project? We’ve rounded up several great ideas for you to consider:

• Danielle’s Place has several whimsical ideas, from faux cupcake note holders to fuzzy 3D animal card designs.
• You’ll find 20 quick Valentine’s Day project starters from the folks at CraftBits.
• MakingFriends outlines a clever pop-up card design that kids should think is a lot of fun.
• For those with a sweet tooth, All Recipes has a bunch of sure-fire Valentine’s recipes.
• Make a mosaic Valentine’s heart (or pretty much anything else) with directions from Family Corner.

If you’ve got the room, gather up all your kid’s Valentines after the big day is over. They can be tucked away   — raw materials for next year’s holiday crafts.

Do you have an easy and eco-friendly Valentine’s Day craft idea? Please share in our Comments section!

Originally posted 29. Jan, 2009 | Tags: Cards, Crafts, Gifts, Holidays, Valentine's Day