Green DIY Valentine's Day Cards for Class

Every Valentine's Day, millions of children come to school with billions of Valentine's Day cards for their classmates that are destined to end up in the trash can. Probably by the end of the day. This Valentine's Day, encourage your son or daughter to set a green example with DIY Valentine's Day Cards that their classmates will want to keep for years to come. Handing out sustainable gifts may encourage class dialogue about green living and preventing waste. And at the very least, your child's DIY Valentine's Day cards will be the biggest hit this holiday.

What You'll Need:

tiles

ceramic-friendly paint

small paintbrushes

a list of names of your child's classmates

several sheets of newspaper

pink and red tissue paper

tape

Step 1:

Your green DIY Valentine's Day Cards will be made out of small tiles. They are durable, biodegradable and make neat little Valentine's Day mementos. Head to your local hardware or craft store to purchase them. The size is up to you. Last year, I bought 2"x2" ($.49 each), but you can really go as big or as small as you like. White tiles work just fine, but pink and red really say Valentine's Day.

I picked tiles because they were relatively inexpensive, and it was easy to find enough identical ones to supply a classroom (and one extra large one for the teacher). But, don't feel limited to tiles. You can purchase small vases, wooden boxes, or any fun items you may find at the craft store.

Step 2:

Purchase ceramic friendly paint (around $3 per tube) and brushes. Your local craft store will be the best place to find them. Purchase red, pink and black paint (however, if your tiles are red or pink avoid buying the same color paint. It will be hard to see).

Step 3:

Lay down newspaper and spread your tiles out and prepare your paint and brushes. Paint a pink or red heart on every tile. If your children will be helping, consider cutting out heart shaped stencils and taping them to each tile. This way you don't have to worry about getting the shape right every time. However, I have to say, the crooked little heart shapes that your little one will make can be adorable in their own right.

Step 4:

After the heart shapes have dried, come back to the tiles and paint the first initial of each student's name in the center of the heart. If you are giving one to the teacher as well, I recommend writing 'Ms./Mr.' and then the first letter of their last name. Again, you can use stencils if you'd like, but a few backward S's can be cute and your child will feel that they are more involved.

Step 5:

After they have dried, carefully wrap each tile in newspaper so that they don't break on the way to class. Or, if you're feeling the Valentine's Day spirit, you can wrap each one in pink or red tissue paper. Then tape each child's name to the top of the wrapped tile. I put mine in a large Tupperware container to make sure that they made it to class as safely as possible.