Homemade Valentine's Day Cards

For our first homemade Valentine's Day card, we're going to choose a very easy example: the one of a Valentines card made out of construction paper.

For such a craft; which can be made by a toddler, you just have to get a sheet of construction paper, fold the sheet in half and decorate the one outside half with Valentine's Day stickers. Because toddlers can't write, you're going to lend a hand to your child and write their greetings on the inside of the card.

Naturally, Saint Valentine construction paper cards can be made with white, pink, lavender, or red construction paper and, on condition that the support is dark enough, you can write the greetings with a silver or gold marker.

Photo: comes from my personal Valentine's Day card collection.

Bring the fun to those boring and chilling winter afternoons! Invite your kids to create their own greeting cards at home with this Make Your Own Cards by Made By Hands. The kit includes 20 different colored note cards and 20 white envelopes. They'll decorate the cards with the 500 pop-out cardboard shapes (petals, flowers, circles, etc.) included in the kit. No neet to cut anything as items pop out of their perforations, therefore, the kit is perfect for young children.

From the same manufacturer and collection, the Make Your Own Holiday Cards set requires your kids' imagination! The set allows kids to make 10 holiday themed cards.

Make Your Own Holiday Cards kit includes 10 cards, 10 envelopes and 250+ pop out shapes as well as one glue stick. Another excellent set for kids aged 3 and up.

Next craft activity in our series is to make homemade potato stamp Valentine's Day cards. Here is what you need to make this Saint Valentine craft:

• Old envelopes from other holidays. If you don't have some left then buy a new pack envelopes.
• White construction paper sheets
• Potatoes in different sizes
• Paint pots
• Markers
• Paring Knife (used by adults only)
• Paper plates
• Scissors
• Pink or red ribbons (optional)
• Hole Punch (optional)

Before going further in how to make heart potato stamp Valentines cards, I suggest that you cut the potatoes in two before starting this craft project. So, here are the directions to make potato stamp greeting cards:

• Note the measures of the envelope so that you ensure the card fits in the envelope.
• Cut out the card from the white construction paper.
• Ask Mom or Dad to cut the potato in half.
• Trace a heart shape with a marker on the white side of the potato.
• Cut away potato around the heart.
• You can use more potatoes to cut out different sizes of hearts - or even additional shapes.
• Put paint in the paper plate.
• Dip the potato into the paint and make sure that there isn't too much paint on the potato.
• Place the "painted" potato on the card, press and remove the potato.
• Repeat this operation until you get the design you wish.
• Punch two holes +/- 1 centimetre apart from each other on top of the card and insert one end of the ribbon through one hole and the other end of the ribbon through the other one.
• Tie the ribbon into a nice bow.

As said earlier, you can diversify the shapes and, you can prepare potato stamps with shapes such as cupid silhouettes, birds, arrows, flowers, etc. so that the kids can stamp more Saint Valentine cards. With small shapes, the kids can make a nice garland in the inside of the card and then write their Valentine's Day greetings.

Because potato stamp cards allow creativity, you can get a nice Valentine's Day related scrapbooking kit and have the kids stick more ornaments on the cards. Naturally, you can let the kids decorate the envelopes with potato stamps.

Photo: comes from my personal Valentine's Day card collection.

The Melissa and Doug Favorite Phrases Stamp Set is an excellent tool set to get when making homemade Valentine's Day cards - or for any other holiday and occasion! The Melissa and Doug Favorite Phrases Stamp set includes 2 color-stamp pad and 5 colord pencils. Among the 8 familiar phrases which are included in the set we find "I love you" which is, in my opinion, the best way to start a Valentine message. The stamp set is made out of wood and non-toxic ink. For kids aged 4 years and up.

Valentine's Day does also celebrate friendship and this is the reason why your kids will definitely enjoy creating homemade cards with Melissa & Doug Friendship Stamp Set. The stamps feature images like teddy bear, hearts and flowers (quite popular Saint Valentine symbols), butterfly, rainbow, etc. Come with 5 colored pencils. All elements are stored on a wooden box and contain non-toxic ink.

As said through its name, this craft requires the use of left over Valentine's Day cards - so, before starting this project, make sure that you have some Valentine's Day greeting cards left from the previous holidays. Apart from the old cards, here are the tools you need to make this craft:

• White, pink, lavender, purple or red construction paper sheets
• Craft glue
• Markers
• Scissors

Directions to make homemade left over Valentine's Day cards:

• Choose the figures you best like in the pile of old Valentines cards.
• Cut them out off the old cards and put aside until you have the number of figures you wish.
• Fold the construction paper sheet in half.
• Using craft glue, paste the old card figures you cut out on the front of your new card in order to create an entirely new and different design.
• Once the figures have dried, use the markers to draw additional signs on the new card.
• Create a nice garland in the inside of the card in which you'll write your Valentine's Day greetings - you can simply copy the text of an old card if you wish or aren't good at writing.

As you can see, it is not hard to recycle old Valentines cards and create a brand new original and very personal greeting card.

Photo: comes from my personal Valentine's Day card collection.

Straight from the Heart: A Make-Your-Own Valentine Card Kit (Pretty Simple Stuff)

Because Valentine's Day isn't just reserved to love and romance celebrations, kids can create their own Valentines cards and send them to everyone they love: parents, teachers, school friends, etc.

This creative Valentine's Day cards kit includes stencil, 100 stickers, fancy paper, instructions and tips on how to decorate your own Valentine's Day cards.

The set allows you to create 45 Valentine's Day cards!

Are there at least 17 people you wish to send a Valentine's Day card to? Then the My Special Valentine Kit: With A Book Of Cards And Gifts To Make For People You Love (Reader's Digest Young Families) set has been conceived for you!

The kit includes a 24-page step-by-step instruction guide to make 17 cards as well as funny messages, riddles, and whimsical pictures, stickers, pompoms, feathers, yarn, glue, stencil, construction paper, etc. Comes in a heart-shaped box to keep everything in.