I love looking for crafty DIY Valentine's Day gifts that my kids can make, and I hope you like when I look for them for you. Because my criteria, I think, are fairly straightforward, and ones I bet a lot of you can relate to as well:
1) Do I own any of that stuff?
2) If I don't own any of that stuff can I easily get it?
3) Can my kids actually do most of the work and if not, will I complain about it?
4) Will the end result look anything like the photos? Even a little?
4) Will I end up with glitter in my couch cushions for the next three years?
If I can answer yes, yes, yes, yes no, then I know I've found the perfect crafts for the kids.
With that in mind, take a look at these fun DIY Valentine's gifts that your kids can make for teachers, grandparents, sitters, coaches, best friends, siblings -- and if you're lucky, maybe for you too.
Semi-homemade Valentine's cookies at Brit + Co
They had me at "Buy some cookies..."
Paint Chip Valentines at Instructibles
I always think paint chips are the smartest, most underutilized craft supply because they are basically free. You can just cut hearts from them and glue to cardstock, or take it a step further with embroidery floss and go nuts with this cool tutorial.
DIY handmade LOVE cards for Valentine's Day from Crazy About My Baybah
Didn't these come out so fantastic? My kids would absolutely adore this project, and the best part is, if they think they messed up for some reason, it's really easy to start over.
DIY made with Love Cookie Jar at eighteen25
For something that looks a little more polished, look no further than the free printables at eighteen25 (man I love that site). Then grab a mason jar or go crazy and buy some new jars. Choose any of the homemade cookie recipes from Cool Mom Eats -- I'm partial to Stacie's semi-homemade sandwich cookie recipe, or if you'ree a from-scratch family, check out Jane Maynard's ssugar cookie recipe with 10 variations, from lemon poppyseed to coconut lime.
DIY candy heart necklace at Shauna Younge
So this is definitely more involved than stringing heart-shaped beads onto string (or just buying a darn candy necklace at the store) but if you've got some basic pastry supplies on hand, it's actually a pretty nifty craft.
Lavender Friendship Hearts kit at Magic Cabin
Don't panic -- this is actually a DIY kit you can buy, that includes everything your kid needs to make a whole bunch of felt lavender sachets for friends. Love that!
Cut paper Valentine's rosettes at Handmade Charlotte
I almost bypassed this Valentine's Day craft until I took a closer look at the instructions at Handmade Charlotte and realized, I could totally do that. My kids would love handing these out to their best friends and grandparents! If they can bear to part with them.
Love Grows Here potted succulent at Julep
So how easy is this? Buy a plant, print the printable, let your kids paint the pot. Thank you Julep! PS Don't even suggest the kids do all-white pots; if they're anything like my kids, that will never happen.
Conversation Heart chocolate bark at Brit + Co
Kudos again to Brit + Co for this super easy DIY Valentine's treat recipe that has the added benefit of actually making those chalky hearts look far more appealing.
Free Valentine paper fortune cookie craft printables at Josie Jones
We included this in last year's roundup of easy Valentine's crafts that make great DIY Valentine's gifts and it's stayed with me as being such a great idea. Just make sure you have some pretty paper on hand, and a little creativity for the fortunes.
DIY heart friendship bracelets for Valentine's Day | Moms and Crafters
Featured recently in Kate's roundup of 11 easy Valentine's crafts for preschoolers and younger kids, she called it a fun take on a friendship bracelet, and suggests substituting a soft ribbon for the twine. You can make the Sharpie hearts and let your kids color them in, or just put out some red, pink and white paints and let them go to town.
DIY wax resist Valentine's hearts at CBC Parents
Sometimes the easiest ideas are the most fun, and I can imagine kids of all ages going nuts with the white crayon and watercolors or markers. Smart!
DIY XO Mug at The Proper Blog
Our kids always love decorating mugs and truth be told, we love drinking out of them. Check out this smart, easy tutorial which calls for acrylic paints, but know you can always use Sharpies in a pinch.
DIY String heart yarn Valentine's Cards at Hello Wonderful
There are so many cool ideas out there for cards that make nice DIY Valentine's Day gifts, and this one is a cool idea for kids, provided you have the patience for all the detail work.
Sweet Surprise Box of Candies at Martha Stewart
This is a neat idea because it can be as homemade as you'd like -- pop your own sweet sayings into an existing box of bonbons, or start from scratch with candy or small cupcake wrappers, then add a cookie, chocolate kiss, you name it. I bet your kids would have blast figuring out what each one should say.
DIY ribbon strip Valentine's Cards at Happy Hooligans
Wow, so smart. A preschooler could do this one way, while an artistically inclined tween (or uh, adult) would have a whole different take on it. Check out the tutorial for good tips.
Printable Valentine's finger puppets at Smallful
While these do cost a few dollars, I love Mari's adorable finger puppets that come in a printable kit my kids would love making. It's a toy and card in one, and you even get a foldable card for a teacher and family members with the purchase.
With that in mind, take a look at these fun DIY Valentine's gifts that your kids can make for teachers, grandparents, sitters, coaches, best friends, siblings -- and if you're lucky, maybe for you too.
Semi-homemade Valentine's cookies at Brit + Co
They had me at "Buy some cookies..."
Paint Chip Valentines at Instructibles
I always think paint chips are the smartest, most underutilized craft supply because they are basically free. You can just cut hearts from them and glue to cardstock, or take it a step further with embroidery floss and go nuts with this cool tutorial.
DIY handmade LOVE cards for Valentine's Day from Crazy About My Baybah
Didn't these come out so fantastic? My kids would absolutely adore this project, and the best part is, if they think they messed up for some reason, it's really easy to start over.
DIY made with Love Cookie Jar at eighteen25
For something that looks a little more polished, look no further than the free printables at eighteen25 (man I love that site). Then grab a mason jar or go crazy and buy some new jars. Choose any of the homemade cookie recipes from Cool Mom Eats -- I'm partial to Stacie's semi-homemade sandwich cookie recipe, or if you'ree a from-scratch family, check out Jane Maynard's ssugar cookie recipe with 10 variations, from lemon poppyseed to coconut lime.
DIY candy heart necklace at Shauna Younge
So this is definitely more involved than stringing heart-shaped beads onto string (or just buying a darn candy necklace at the store) but if you've got some basic pastry supplies on hand, it's actually a pretty nifty craft.
Lavender Friendship Hearts kit at Magic Cabin
Don't panic -- this is actually a DIY kit you can buy, that includes everything your kid needs to make a whole bunch of felt lavender sachets for friends. Love that!
Cut paper Valentine's rosettes at Handmade Charlotte
I almost bypassed this Valentine's Day craft until I took a closer look at the instructions at Handmade Charlotte and realized, I could totally do that. My kids would love handing these out to their best friends and grandparents! If they can bear to part with them.
Love Grows Here potted succulent at Julep
So how easy is this? Buy a plant, print the printable, let your kids paint the pot. Thank you Julep! PS Don't even suggest the kids do all-white pots; if they're anything like my kids, that will never happen.
Conversation Heart chocolate bark at Brit + Co
Kudos again to Brit + Co for this super easy DIY Valentine's treat recipe that has the added benefit of actually making those chalky hearts look far more appealing.
Free Valentine paper fortune cookie craft printables at Josie Jones
We included this in last year's roundup of easy Valentine's crafts that make great DIY Valentine's gifts and it's stayed with me as being such a great idea. Just make sure you have some pretty paper on hand, and a little creativity for the fortunes.
DIY heart friendship bracelets for Valentine's Day | Moms and Crafters
Featured recently in Kate's roundup of 11 easy Valentine's crafts for preschoolers and younger kids, she called it a fun take on a friendship bracelet, and suggests substituting a soft ribbon for the twine. You can make the Sharpie hearts and let your kids color them in, or just put out some red, pink and white paints and let them go to town.
DIY wax resist Valentine's hearts at CBC Parents
Sometimes the easiest ideas are the most fun, and I can imagine kids of all ages going nuts with the white crayon and watercolors or markers. Smart!
DIY XO Mug at The Proper Blog
Our kids always love decorating mugs and truth be told, we love drinking out of them. Check out this smart, easy tutorial which calls for acrylic paints, but know you can always use Sharpies in a pinch.
DIY String heart yarn Valentine's Cards at Hello Wonderful
There are so many cool ideas out there for cards that make nice DIY Valentine's Day gifts, and this one is a cool idea for kids, provided you have the patience for all the detail work.
Sweet Surprise Box of Candies at Martha Stewart
This is a neat idea because it can be as homemade as you'd like -- pop your own sweet sayings into an existing box of bonbons, or start from scratch with candy or small cupcake wrappers, then add a cookie, chocolate kiss, you name it. I bet your kids would have blast figuring out what each one should say.
DIY ribbon strip Valentine's Cards at Happy Hooligans
Wow, so smart. A preschooler could do this one way, while an artistically inclined tween (or uh, adult) would have a whole different take on it. Check out the tutorial for good tips.
Printable Valentine's finger puppets at Smallful
While these do cost a few dollars, I love Mari's adorable finger puppets that come in a printable kit my kids would love making. It's a toy and card in one, and you even get a foldable card for a teacher and family members with the purchase.
