Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

By Kendra Smoot

Laced-up Valentines

Buy candy in bulk and create your own packaging for a personal touch. Cut out two hearts in pink or red cardstock and punch holes around them about half-an-inch apart. Tape the end of a string of yarn to help your child stitch the hearts together. Before the hearts are sewn closed, fill them with candy. Finish it off with a bow.

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

Admirer In The Air
These unconventional Valentines will have kids flying high, not sugar high! If you're stuck in a candy-and-card rut, consider letting your kids make paper airplanes for their classmates this year. Fold airplanes out of thick, colorful paper and embellish with an airmail or postage mark stamp.

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

Beloved Bouquet
Recycle an old book to fashion some paper roses for your child's teacher or a neighbor. For this craft you will need the following supplies: pages from old paperback book, scissors, petal template, pencils, masking tape (about ten one-inch pieces), paint, brush.

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

Steps

1. Use petal template to trace and cut out petals from pages (10 petals per flower)
2. Crease the petals in half from the bottom to the middle
3. Wrap a petal around the eraser end of the pencil and secure it with tape
4. Rotate the pencil and tape a second petal. Add more petals, rotating the pencil as you go. Use your fingers to mold the paper petals to create interesting shapes.
5. Once all 10 petals are attached, use a little extra masking tape to secure. Paint a few petals with acrylic paint and dry.

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

Heart-y Breakfast
Let your kids know it's a special day right from the start. Embellish their breakfast toast with a raspberry jam heart. Simply use the back of a spoon to shape or use a cookie cutter as a guide. For an extra touch of sweet, add some red food-coloring to milk or whipped cream.

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

Pocket Full of Love
Spruce up a plain t-shirt or cardigan with a kitschy heart pocket. First, cut out a small pink 100 percent wool felt heart. With red embroidery thread, stitch across the top of the heart before attaching it to the clothing. Pin the heart to the sweater and continue the running stitch around the bottom of the heart, allowing for easy removal after the holiday. Leave a pocket opening at the top for some candy or a cold hand.

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

Heart Attack
Your Valentine will never doubt your feelings after you "heart attack" their bedroom, workspace or car. Cut out hearts of all shapes and sizes and write some sweet nothings on each. Don't be shy -- tape them all over!

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

Stuck on You
This gum valentine is perfect for chew-sy friends. Print out this template on cardstock and wrap sticks of gum in red and pink paper, attaching with tape or glue. Using double-sided tape, attach the gum to the cards with cheeky sayings like "By gum, you're great!"

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

You're Sweet
Dress up a simple lollipop with this fun tag. Download the template here, cut out with scissors, write your Valentine's name and attach to the lollipop stick with tape or glue.

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family

Cup of Romance
Let your teacup where its heart on it's "sleeve." Bake a batch of sugar cookies and immediately after removing from the oven, cut a small triangle out of the side of each cookie. The size of the triangle will depend on the size of the teacup, so you may need to experiment. Pour some hot cocoa, slide on a cookie and share with your loved ones.

Valentines Day Crafts For Your Family