The holiday rush is over, decorations are put away (maybe?), the gift-giving is done, the scrambling to find holiday-themed outfits for everyone is no longer needed, and the parties are complete. We can finally take a breather from all of that… but what is waiting right around the corner?
Enter Valentine’s Day…
Now you need to find red and pink shirts, bring snacks for the school party and have a valentine for everyone in the class. Of course, Valentine’s Day does not come with all the frills like Christmas, but it can be a challenge to find the right valentines, especially if you are on a budget and the stores have been picked over. So if you waited too long to get your kid’s favorite cartoon character box of valentines from the store or don’t want to spend the money, I have the list for you! Check out my ideas for easy and inexpensive DIY valentines below!
Candy Cane Hearts
I love this idea because it is the perfect way to use all of the leftover candy canes you just took off of your Christmas tree. Simply connect the hook ends of two candy canes together with scotch tape and you have a heart! Tape or tie a small greeting card made out of construction paper and you have your Valentine!
Valentine Bookmarks
This is a great idea because it is cheap and there are so many ways to make it your own! Collect paint swatches from a home improvement store (the longer, rectangular-shaped ones). You can stick with the traditional Valentine’s colors of pinks and reds or mix it up with different colors. After collecting the paint swatches, punch a hole in the top of each one and tie a ribbon into the hole. Now you have a bookmark and a valentine that you can decorate with a clever saying, hearts, stickers, or leave it as is!
Glow Stick Valentines
This one is inexpensive and as easy as can be! Go to the dollar store and buy packs of glow necklaces. Print or make your own card with construction paper, then tape one glow stick to each card. Add a catchy phrase like “You make my heart glow!” and it is that simple! Another bonus for ideas like this is that they are candy free, no need to worry about allergies or getting too much candy!
Homemade Heart Crayons
My daughter and I did this one year and it was a hit! Not only did these make cute valentines, but it was a fun activity for my daughter when we made them, too. This also helps use up all the broken pieces of crayons lying around the house. For this, you need broken crayons of any color and a heart-shaped silicone mold. Take the paper off the crayons, then fill each heart with broken crayons (we did rainbow crayons, which saved us from sorting by color). Put them in the oven at 250 degrees and let them melt.
As they melt they will break down and you will have to add more crayon pieces until the hearts are completely melted and filled. Once they are melted, pull them out and let them cool completely before taking them out of the mold. Print up a small coloring page to go with each one and put a couple of crayons in each bag. You can also write a cute saying like “You color my world!” on it!
Love Bugs
It doesn’t get any easier than this! Grab a couple of bags of gummy worms next time you are at the store. Put a handful in a Ziploc bag, make a card out of construction paper or print, write “Love Bugs” on the card, sign and it is ready to be passed out!
I hope this list helped spark some inspiration for you and that it can save you a little time and money! Whatever valentines you choose to pass out this year, have fun spreading the love! Happy Valentine’s Day!
