Creative Valentine Crafts for Kids

Valentine's Day is a fun day to look forward to and kids will enjoy getting in the mood by creating homemade gifts and crafts. Making and giving Valentine's gifts is a great way for kids to show their lvoe and appreciation to friends and family.

Here are a few ideas for easy and fun kids Valentine's crafts.

Painted Pot

Terra cotta clay pots can be found at your local craft store. They come in a variety of sizes and range in price from under a dollar to several dollars. These pots are easy to decorate and look great when painted. Using white, red and a variety of pink colored paints, paint your pots with one or two coats of base coat and after it's dry, paint on stripes, plaids, hearts, dots, flowers or any other pattern or decoration. These pots can be used in a variety of ways. You can fill them with candies for a cute little Valentine candy dish. Add a candle and your terra cotta pot becomes a candle holder. Write out Valentine "fortunes" on little slips of paper, fold them up and fill the pot with them. Tie a ribbon around the pot with a card attached and instructions for opening the fortunes. Of course you could also use your pot to hold a plant. Either purchase a small house plant at the store, or plant some grass seed or some marigold seeds and include water and care instructions.

Heart Pillow

Kids love to sew and this easy project will allow them to make their very own pillow to either keep, or give away as a Valentine gift. Using red or pink felt cut 2 heart shapes. A smaller sized heart will be better for kids who don't have a lot of sewing under their belts. For kids who have a little more sewing experience, try a bigger heart shape, or several pairs of hearts in different sizes. Using a colored yarn or embroidery floss, whip stitch around the outside of the heart, leaving 2-3 inches un-stitched. Fill the heart with batting until it's well stuffed. Finish whip stitching to close up the pillow and tie off with a knot.

Conversation Heart Photo Frame

Conversation hearts make a clever embellishment to a plain wooden frame, and kids will love having a little extra of the candy on hand to eat while they make this cute frame. Using craft glue, cover a plain frame with large and small conversation hearts. Make sure to cover the sides of the frames with the hearts too. After the frame has dried, use a finishing spray or shellac to seal the candy hearts so they won't deteriorate. Follow the directions on the finishing spray, applying several coats if needed. This frame will make a great gift, especially when you add a special photo to it.

Valentine Mailbox

What better way to collect Valentine cards than with a Valentine mailbox. A rectangle box makes a perfect mailbox. Using a craft knife, cut around the top of the box, about 2 inches down, but leave the back of the box in tact to act as a hinge. This will be the boxes lid so your child can access her Valentine mail. Cut a mail slot on the top of the box, then let your child cover the box in colored construction paper. Make sure the mail slot and box lid haven't been covered up. You may need to cut through the construction paper with your craft knife to open up the slot and lid. With markers, stickers, and more construction paper, your child can finish decorating her box until it's just right.

Let your kids exercise their creativity with these fun and easy Valentine crafts. Kids will enjoy the feeling of doing it themselves, with a little help from you.