Back in our day, the classroom Valentine’s party was all about decorating a shoebox and nabbing the Nickelodeon paper Valentine’s to pass out to the class and as long as we got a sugar cookie with pink frosting, we were happy campers. But this generation is built differently and it’s all about originality and how creative you can get. Here are three of our favorite DIY Valentines that are adorable, easy to make, and guaranteed to be a hit.
Emoji Valentine’s
We are all about the DIY Valentines that our littles can make (almost) entirely by themselves. We also like that these emoji Valentines require minimal chocolate because hey, that after-school sugar rush hits differently and we don’t want to be the parent that all of the other parents are cursing later. Check out this DIY from Lake Champlain.
Supplies:
(Makes 10 cards!)
- yellow card stock – 3 sheets
- black card stock – 1 sheet
- milk chocolate caramel hearts or dark chocolate heart candy
- (two hearts for each card)
- glue stick
- double–sided tape
- black pen
- emoji card template
Instructions:
- Gather your supplies. Print the attached template and then cut out the shapes to use as stencils for creating your card. The yellow cardstock will be the base of your card, so you will want it to be sturdy enough to hold the chocolate hearts and durable enough to be passed out at school.
- Trace the large circle shape on the yellow cardstock and then carefully cut out each circle to create the main shape of the card. Use the smaller crescent moon-shaped template to create the emoji mouth on the black cardstock.
- Glue the mouth onto the yellow circle, about ½ inch from the bottom. Make sure you leave plenty of room for the eyes. Flip the card over and write your Valentine’s Day message on the backside. (Be sure to sign your name so that your friends and fellow classmates know just who made them this awesome Valentine’s Day card!)
- Cut two pieces of double-sided tape about 3/4-inch long. Use this tape to attach the chocolate hearts to form the eyes of your emoji. (Do not use glue to attach the hearts, because the glue can contaminate the chocolate.)
Love Bugs
If you hate glitter, keep scrolling. Okay, fellow glitter lovers, these love bug Valentines couldn’t be easier to put together and they’re super versatile, so if you’re little one also has a spring birthday, these would be perfect to pass out for that too. Check out this DIY from My Home-Based Life.
Supplies:
- 6 Wood Clothespins
- 6 Mini Pkgs. Valentine M&M’s Candy
- 3 Valentine Pipe Cleaners red and white
- Googly Eyes
- Glue Stick
- Glitter
Instructions:
- Put glue all over the top of each clothespin, leaving just about a ¼ inch at the top plain.
- Sprinkle glitter all over the glue, and stick 2 googly eyes on the plain part at the top of each clothespin.
- Cut the pipe cleaners in half, and fold each one around each pack of candy, pulling tightly, so that the candy is kind of squished together a little bit. Leave the ends of the pipe cleaners open at the top.
- Slide a clothespin onto the middle of each package of candy where the pipe cleaner is cinching it together.
- Now twist the open ends of the pipe cleaners to look like little antennas on each one.
Play-Doh Valentines
If you prefer Valentines with no candy then you’re going to love these Plah Doh Valentines from Life Over C’s. The best part? They couldn’t be easier to make.
Supplies:
- Mini jars of Play-doh
- Free printable tags
- Scissors
- Glue or tape
Instructions:
Print your tags and cut them out, then attach them to the tops of your Play-Doh jars.