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Homemade Valentine’s Made by Kids (with Not-so-Crafty Moms!)

February 5, 2015 by Jaimi Erickson 8 Comments

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Are you a crafty mom or are you craft-challenged? Neither determines whether you are a good mom or a bad mom, but it can cause holiday times to be a bit stressful when you see the crafty moms are pinning to Pinterest like crazy! I admit, crafting is fun for me, but I tend to not do elaborately crafty activities with my kids. Time, money, and time (did I mention that already) are my main factors for choosing to keep things pretty simple.

It is fun to encourage kids to create and especially to give to others. Whether you make or buy Valentine’s this year, you are teaching your child to give and consider others, to love others. That is a win!If you are looking for a way to engage your child in making Valentines without having to be a crafty mom, I have an idea for simple DIY Valentine’s made by kids.

 

Are you not a very crafty mom? Or looking for a really simple homemade Valentine idea? This will work!

This activity is great for preschool and school age kids. It has countless ways it can be personalized and embellished to take it from simple (or plain) to fancy.No feeling bad not-so-crafty moms! I have shared this just for you…and any other crafty moms who just want the kids to make the Valentines, because we moms have enough going on!

DIY Valentine’s Made by Kids

Supplies:
(Looks like a lot, but I promise this is really simple!!)


–two colors of paper-can be cardstock, construction paper-or scrap white paper

–scissors

–heart stencil, (you can buy one or make one from cereal box or cardboard)

–oval stencil, (same as heart pattern-make or buy)

–stapler (and staples, of course)

–ziploc bags

–pencil

 

Not-so-Crafty moms, check this Valentine idea out! Simple and can be decorated however you want. Kids can make them!

Trace hearts onto one color paper. (We used red.)

Trace ovals onto the other color paper. (We used cream.)

Have your child cut out the hearts and ovals. (If you are using plain white paper, your child can color the shapes to add some decoration.)

My son cut out every single heart and oval for his Kindergarten class when we made these. It was great practice with scissor skills.

It did take a few days to finish them all. He got tired so he worked on them a little bit at a time. If you help cut them out, it will go faster.

Write the names of those who will be receiving the Valentine’s on each heart-one name per heart. Great writing practice!

TIP: For a preschooler who may not yet be able to write names, you can write the name in pencil on each heart and have them trace over it with marker or even glitter glue.

 

Super simple homemade Valentine's that can be made by kids. Idea shared over on The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide.

When all the children’s names are written on the hearts, glue the hearts to the ovals, centering the heart on the oval. Let the glue dry. These will become the labels for your DIY Valentine’s made by kids.

Staple each label onto a ziploc bag. Make sure the bag is open when you staple on the label.

At this point you can get more elaborate. Decorate the labels with fun stickers, glitter glue or puffy paints. (Completely optional.)

 

Bake sugar cookies shaped like hearts and flowers to place in homemade Valentine treat bags-simple idea for even the not-so-crafty moms! Idea and recipe shared at The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide.

Then fill your bags! We baked and iced heart-shaped cookies and put them in DIY Valentine’s bags for my son’s class. It was a great indoor activity on a snowy day!

 

Trying to avoid sweet treats in your homemade Valentine’s? Here are some non-candy ideas:


1.) A fun homemade activity in a bag shared at Buggy and Buddy.

2.) Bubbles! (Go for the Dollar Store mini bottles.) Great idea from My Sister’s Suitcase.

3.) Cute idea for girls shared over at The Crafting Chicks.

4.) What child does not enjoy batting a balloon around-try this simple idea from Love and Lion.

5.) Fill the ziploc bag with some crayons, stickers, pretzel sticks or a clementine.

6.) Even small toys from the Dollar Store can be a cute filler like this idea from B-Inspired Mama.

 

Really simple homemade Valentine's that kids can make-great non-candy ideas and extensions to personalize them.

.

Was this non-crafty enough?

Kids get to work on scissor and writing skills, AND you still get to say you made homemade (very frugal) Valentine’s. You just might start feeling a bit crafty!

If this was still a little too involved, all the above blogs offer free printable Valentine’s. The point is to think about others and teach our children a giving spirit-no Pinterest-perfection needed!

 

Are you making Valentines this year or have you found some fun ones to purchase?

 

 


Successful Mom Daily Checklist to help you gain balance between housework and play time with the kids. Get more done, and feel more successful as a mom and homemaker.

Enjoy your time at home!

Your Name

Filed Under: activities Tagged With: crafty, DIY, Valentine's

Comments

  1. Melissa Matters says

    February 7, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    The bag stapled on the back is genius! Thanks for this great idea.

    Reply
    • Jaimi says

      February 12, 2015 at 5:36 pm

      Thanks so much, Melissa! It is a basic idea that can be personalized in so many ways which is my favorite kind of craft!

      Reply
  2. Susen Kuchta says

    February 7, 2015 at 2:39 am

    I love this! Crafts made by kids no matter how the finished product turns out is the sweetest. Just knowing their little hands and minds created it!! Thanks for sharing at our Share Day!

    Reply
    • Jaimi says

      February 12, 2015 at 5:36 pm

      Thanks for the opportunity to share it, Susen!

      Reply
  3. yuvraj says

    February 6, 2015 at 5:00 am

    Nice Tips you shared here and I really love it a lot.

    Reply
    • Jaimi says

      February 12, 2015 at 5:35 pm

      Thanks so much! I am glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Kid-Made Valentine's Banner Craft - The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide says:
    February 8, 2017 at 9:27 pm

    […] Simple Homemade Valentine’s Made by Kids […]

    Reply
  2. 40 Non-Food Valentines for Favors and Gifts - Views From a Step Stool says:
    December 26, 2016 at 6:25 pm

    […] Homemade Valentine Made By Kids // The Stay at Home Mom Survival Guide […]

    Reply

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How have you been taking time to recharge while st How have you been taking time to recharge while staying at home? Making my list of favorite ways to refresh ‘cause moms with full schedules from morning to night need some simple ideas to get in quiet time. 👏 Do you need recharge time?

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When you really focus on fear, isn’t it pretty s When you really focus on fear, isn’t it pretty silly how much we let it run our lives? 

Anyone who knows my 7 year old daughter knows she has a “no fear” spirit. She can be a bit of an adrenaline junkie. She is always moving, seeking out fun and not intimidated by the unknown.

As a parent I both admire and cringe. 😅 

I find that I have to suppress my fear when it comes to her adventurous spirit so I do not diminish her true nature. I also have to be on the ball from a parenting perspective to talk through being smart while having fun. 

It is not as if we can ever see the results from the actions before we act though. 

Remembering myself how I truly only know what I see and what faith teaches me allows me to focus on eliminating fear from ruling.

For many years I was the opposite of my wild child. I was always thinking too far ahead to see what potential pain may come. That suppressed my nature. I see my kids so social, so eager to try new things and it energizes me to set that example too. 

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