Homemade Valentines Ideas Using Construction Paper

Part of the fun of Valentine's Day is picking out the cards your child will hand out to the class. Rather than heading to the drugstore for a trite collection of cartoon characters, why not find some homemade Valentines that kids can make and give?

If you have construction paper, scissors and tape or glue on hand, then all you need is some candy to get started. Cut out simple heart shapes and glue assorted candies onto them. Using the name of the candy, write a cute or funny Valentine's Day-related sentiment on the heart. Here are some examples:

Giving you a Valentine's "Kiss" (Hershey's Kisses)
You are so funny, you always make me "Snickers."
Let me call you "Sweet Tart."

Use your imagination and encourage your child to come up with sayings for these homemade Valentines.

Another option is to cut flowers out of construction paper. Cut them in to sizes - a large one and a small one for each Valentine. Line them up and poke a hole in the center. Stick a small, round lollipop, such as Dum-Dums, into the center of each flower. Use tap to keep the flower together. If desired, you can cut a large leaf out of green construction paper to stick onto each flower. Write the "To" and "From" information on each leaf.

Perhaps you would rather not give out candy to the kids in your child's class. You can give them pencils instead of sweets with homemade Valentines. For these Valentine's Day crafts, have your child cut out shapes from construction paper through which you can insert a paper. For instance, cut out birds and use the pencil as the branch on which they stand, weaving the pencil through the paper beneath their feet. Make giraffes with pencils for necks or elephants with pencils for trunks.

Alternatively, make Cupid's heart homemade Valentines. Cut hearts out of red and pink paper. Slice a slanted slit through both the upper left and lower right sides of the heart. Weave a pencil through the slits. Fold a black or white piece of paper in half. Cut out a triangle shape, so that you have two identical triangles. Glue or tape the triangles together over the pointed end of the pencil to make an arrowhead. Cut duplicate arrow ends out of the paper and glue them on as well.

When making homemade Valentines with your child, have fun and be creative. Brainstorm with your little one, as kids are creative creatures! Then, have fun making Valentine's day crafts and memories together.