Easy Valentines Day Crafts 

Every store I have been in lately has an absolute overload of red and white colours! Oh yes – Valentine’s day is coming soon! I tell you – I look at the prices of some of the items available  and I think : Yes, that is very cute and pretty , but it is also quite likely that it will end up in the trash after the celebration.

I really believe in making things with your own hands, giving some thought to it, getting creative juices running and involving kids in the works . Here is a few I put together for you –  easy to make and you can have fun doing it and mostly – have fun giving the special treats!

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Special Red Roses

Nothing much says :I love You, then a single red rose! This one is easy to make and when you attach personalized tag to your rose, it can quickly become treasured keepsakes for members of you family!

What You Will Need::

• Green chenille stems (per flower)
• Red craft foam
• Scissors
• White craft glue or hot glue gun

Directions:

1. Set aside half the chenille stem for a later step. Take the full chenille stem and bend it in half. Starting at the bent end, twist the chenille stem around itself all the way up. When you reach the end trim it to make it even if needed.
2. Cut out 1″ tear drop shapes from the red foam, you will need 7 of these.
3. Cut out ¾” tear drop shapes from the red foam, you will need 3 of these.
4. Lay a 1″ tear drop on the table, point side down. Glue the open end of the twisted chenille stem to the red tear drop petal.
5. Glue a second tear drop behind the first tear drop (point side down), most of the tear drop in back will be visible. Repeat on the other side. Repeat again on each side, gluing them in a curved fashion (similar to a half circle). When you are done there should be one petal in the middle and 3 on each side.
6. Glue one of the smaller tear drop petals on top of the green chenille stem. Glue the other two smaller petals overlapping the first one, point side down.
7. Once these are all dry, bend and curve the foam petals to join both rounded sides together to form the flower. Glue in place and hold until dry, hot glue comes in handy here.
8. Use the ½ chenille stem to bend the leaves into shape and twist around the stem.

Friendship Box

Sometimes it’s not the actual gift, but the message that it brings that is most cherished. This friendship box is great for showing how much your friends and family mean to you.

What You Will  Need:

• 1 Empty box, any size
• Valentine themed wrapping paper or pink/red construction paper
• Pink construction paper
• White paper for poem
• White craft glue
• White ribbon
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Wrap the empty box in wrapping paper or construction paper.
2. Tie white ribbon around the box and tie into a bow on the top.
3. Print out the poem below.
4. Trim the poem and glue the trimmed poem to pink construction paper.
5. Trim the pink construction paper to give it an even border all the way around.
6. Glue the poem to the box.

Friendship Box Poem
Inside this fancy little box
I placed a gift so nice
You’ll probably always cherish it
Not even thinking twice

Now even though this box I give
Holds nothing you can touch
I’ve placed inside our friendship
It’s you I like so much!

Soft and Puffy Heart

Not only can you use this adorable craft to write a special message on the back, it can also be turned into a very special dinner table decoration!

What You Will Need:

• Pink and white tissue paper, cut into 1″ squares
• White craft glue
• Scissors
• Piece of card stock or construction paper
• Pencil with an eraser

Directions:

1. Cut out a heart shape from the construction paper or card stock.
2. Put white craft glue into the center of the heart, shaped like a heart.
3. Using the eraser end of a pencil, place the eraser into the center of a white tissue paper square. Twist the tissue paper square around the eraser and dot it onto the glue. Continue this process until entire middle of the heart is covered with white tissue paper. See photo.
4. Repeat the process from step #3 with pink tissue paper for the border of the heart.
5. Glue a hanger to the back if you like.

Tips:

• For younger kids who have trouble working the pencil steps, allow them to wad up the tissue paper squares and press them directly onto the glue with their fingers.
• Instead of a hanger, try gluing a magnet strip to the back and hang on your fridge!
• Always saved the tissue paper from birthday gifts for craft projects like these.

Lollipop Love

This adorable piece will not take you very long to make – engage your children to help and use to send people or use as decorations for your home or your table!

What You Will Need:

• Pink coloured glitter glue
• White cardstock
• 1 wooden skewer
• Coloured strips of ribbon (2) 1/4″ and (1) 1/8″ wide
• Large plastic clear crystals
• Pencil
• Glue gun
• Heart-shaped polystyrene/craft foam
• White glue
• Scissors

Directions:

Card Template 

1. Fold white cardstock in half.
2. Trace polystyrene heart onto cardstock.
3. Cut out heart leaving a fold line at top of card. Make sure the card heart shape is small enough to fit nicely on the front of the polystyrene heart.

Step 2:  Making the Heart

1. Glue heart card to front of heart-shaped polystyrene using white glue.
2. Cover the front and sides of heart-shaped styrofoam with pink glitter glue.
3. Dip styrofoam heart in a bowl of plastic clear crystals. Let it dry.
4. Cover back of card with pink glitter glue.
5. Dip again in clear plastic crystals. Let it dry.

Step 3: Lollipop Stick

1. Twist and glue one piece of 1/4″x10″ coloured ribbon around stick.
2. Twist and glue a second piece of 1/8″x10″ coloured ribbon around stick.
3. Trim off excess ribbon.
4. Pierce tip of skewer into bottom end of polystyrene heart.
5. Glue a piece of 1/4″x 7″ribbon end to inside front bottom card.
6. Glue a piece 1/8″ x 7″ ribbon end to the back inside bottom card.
7. Tie both ribbons together.
8. Cut a piece of 1/4″x 15″ ribbon.
9. Tie a bow around the base of heart.

Key to Your Heart

One of my personal favourites and again – your creativity will make it special!

What You Will Need:

• Design cardstock
• 1/4″ x 20″ cream-colored ribbon
• Antique key
• Medium-sized pearl
• 6 small rhinestones
• Gold thread
• Glue gun
• Hole puncher
• Velvet fabric
• Fabric filler
• Cardboard
• Watered down glue
• Small paint brush

Directions:

Step 1:   Card Template 

1. Cut out two  5″ x 7″ rectangles with design cardstock.
2. Cut out a 2 ½” heart from cardboard.
3. Cut out 3 ½” heart from fabric.

Step 2:  Heart pillow

1. Wrap heart-shaped fabric around cardboard heart.
2. Glue fabric to back of cardboard heart with glue gun.
3. Leave 1 ½” on one side of heart unglued.
4. Stuff heart with small amount of fabric filler.
5. Glue open seam on back of heart closed.
6. Tie a small bow with 1/4″ ribbon.
7. Glue bow to top of heart with glue gun.
8. Glue medium sized pearl below the center of the bow with glue gun.

Step 3:  Key

1. Tie gold thread to the key. Cut thread.
2. Glue the free end of the gold thread on the backside of the padded heart.

Step 4:  Card

1. Place the 5″ x 7″ rectangles of cardstock together to make the card. Make sure the design side is visible on both sides.
2. Punch (7) even-spaced holes along left edge of card with hole puncher.
3. Lace 1/4″ ribbon through each hole from top to bottom and back to top
4. Glue ribbon ends on inside of card at top.
5. Glue padded heart on front center at 1 ½” from top of card with glue gun.
6. Glue rhinestones to the front of card with watered down glue

Enjoy making these pretty keepsakes and please send in your comments, suggestions and ideas. Your input is always welcomed and very much appreciated!