Oh, Sweet! Valentine’s Crafts for Everyone

On Valentine’s Day, we turn the “cheese factor” to 10. Kids give out candy and small trinkets to their classmates, and adults lavish their loved ones with flowers and gifts. But it can also be a time to embrace your creativity with Valentine’s crafts! Whether it’s homemade valentines or DIY decor, check out these adorable ideas.

All Decked Out With Valentine’s Crafts

If I learned anything from living in a pandemic, it’s that we should celebrate moments and milestones that are important to us with decorations, themed food, and general frivolity, especially if it makes us happy. And the same sentiment applies to Valentine’s Day, my former nemesis. So let’s hit the craft closet, and celebrate with ALL the decorations this year!

Tissue Paper Flowers

You don’t have to keep these fluffy beauties in water! I made them once for a stage show (They populated Munchkinland in a bright technicolor fashion). But they could be fun to give to your mom, sweetheart, or whoever you love in your life! You could also decorate your classroom by stapling them to your corkboard.

Go for Garland

If you want to make some Valentine’s decorations, make a cute garland out of red, white, and pink pom-poms or hearts. It will spruce up any space that needs a little festive touch! We also love this “X’s and O’s” version! With some scrap cardboard and yarn, your and your kids make this adorable DIY decoration together. You might not even have to make the trip for craft supplies! Cut out X’s and O’s and hearts from cardboard and then wrap them in pink, red, and white yarn. Then, thread a long piece of yarn through the back of the shapes and hang the garland in their room, in a window, or on a door! You don’t have to just use X’s and O’s, you can also use hearts, kisses (lips), and roses. 

Paper Heart Wreath

 Adorn your front door (or classroom door) with this lovey-dovey wreath of hearts by Shannon at Life Between Summers. If you have little ones who want to help, it could be great practice for their cutting skills. You could even write something you love on each heart!

Valentine’s Candy Trees

Trees are so much more than just a Christmas decoration. At my house, I always say that we should just keep the tree up and change out the decor to match the next upcoming holiday, but they’re pretty sick of that joke. Almost as sick as they are of finding pine needles in their hair. But I digress, we’re here to talk about these Valentine’s trees. You’ll need styrofoam craft cones in various sizes, a hot glue gun and hot glue sticks, and assorted Valentine’s Candy. I recommend using conversation hearts, gummy hearts, and peppermint marshmallows! Optionally, you can add a pink or red ribbon to the top of the tree! Starting at the bottom of the cone, place a dab of hot glue on the cone, arranging the candies in rows. It’s helpful to sort the conversation hearts by color, making the patterns easy to repeat. Putting the glue on the cone instead of the candy also works best.

Fun Ideas for Valentine’s Crafts

Check out these fun ideas for DIY Valentine’s crafts that you can give to your sweetheart!

DIY Valentines Day Card

Whether you’re young or young at heart, a handmade Valentine’s Day Card is always a good idea. Store-bought cards are way overpriced, and I’m a little convinced this holiday was invented (or at least made popular) by Hallmark anyway. With a couple of different card stock colors or even construction paper and some glue, you can make a DIY card to remember. Don’t be afraid to use different colors and textures, too (who could forget the doilies?). If it’s someone special, I always like to use a funny photo of the recipient and me or a picture with a fun memory.

Comedy Gold

Another great idea is to go the comedy route. If you share a favorite movie in common (or your kids have a favorite movie), google the movie title and “valentine,” and you may just find some inspiration. My favorites were the Les Miserables printable valentines I made one year. Definitely a hit.

Something Sweet

 If you (or your child) have to give out valentines for the class, why not turn them into a fun craft? Turn your skittles or M&M packets into butterflies (or dragonflies) with a clothespin down the middle, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners for antennae. You could also make heart-shaped wings on your Tootsie Pops and turn them into adorable butterflies.

You Give Me Butterflies

We love this upcycled idea for butterflies with heart wings by Roz at PopTarts and Peonies. Grab some toilet paper rolls (or paper towel rolls), scrapbooking paper, pom-poms, beads, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes, and let your creativity do the rest!

The Key(chain) to My Heart

Make these simple, but adorable keychains with beads and salt dough pendants. They’re perfect for teacher gifts, classroom valentines, kid’s backpack accessories, or anything you’d like! To make the salt dough, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of salt, and 1 cup of water. Work the ingredients together with your hand until you form a dough. Form the heart shape (or use a cookie cutter) and poke a hole at the top for the keychain. Place them on a baking sheet in a 150-degree oven. Turn them frequently so that they dry out evenly. Baking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your hearts, so just keep a close eye on them. Once they’re hardened, take them out and let them cool. Paint them with red, pink, or white crafts paint, then attach beads and a keychain with a custom message!

Total Eclipse of the Yarn-Wrapped Heart

This is an easy craft that little ones can do, too! Cut a heart from cardboard, and tape the end of a long strand of yarn (a yard or so will do). Wrap the yarn around the heart, back and forth, covering all the cardboard. When it’s full and plush, tie a knot.

Make a Mason Jar

The possibilities are endless with mason jars. You could go the DIY gift route and fill it with date night ideas, all the things you love and appreciate about your sweetheart, or make it a punny candy jar (see below). You could also go the decoration route and use them for adorable votives, picture holders, or flower vases. Use some dishwasher-safe Mod Podge and twine to attach black and white photos to the outside of the mason jars, then fill them with fresh flowers! You can use color photos, too, but the colorful flowers really have a chance to shine if you stick to black-and-white photos.

If you go with sweet treats instead, here are some punny candy jar ideas:

• Pink, Red, and White Candy Corn: “I know it’s corny, but I love you.
• “Hershey’s kisses: “You are so kissable.
• “Reeses’s Pieces: “I love you to pieces.
• “Peanut M&Ms: “You drive me NUTS.
• “Gummy Bears: “Life without you would be unBEARable.”

Speaking of candy, check out this idea for a Valentine’s Candy Tree! You thought trees as decor were just for Christmas? Think again! The one shown below uses greens and reds, but to make it a Valentine’s tree, simply use pink, purple, red, and white sugared jelly candy attached with toothpicks to a styrofoam cone.

Valentine’s Crafts for Adults

Crafting is so much more than just a kids’ activity. On Valentine’s Day, and any holiday, we often shell out hundreds of dollars for seasonal decor and items, when a DIY project is a fun and simple way to unwind and explore your creative side!

Antique Book Banner

Do you have a budding bibliophile in your family? Or perhaps, like me, your child was obsessed with a Jane Austen aesthetic (It wasn’t just a phase, mom). This adorable garland is so easy to make, too! Grab an old book from a thrift store and cut out pages, then draw or paint a heart on each one. The garland looks best if the hearts are uniformly-shaped, so you can give them a heart outline if you want. Attach the pages to some twine and you have antique-chic Valentine’s Day decor that’ll make the mantle shine!

Embroidery Hoop 

Embroidery hoops have come back into fashion–but not how you would expect! These wooden pieces have re-emerged as a kind of minimalist wreath! You can sometimes find them at thrift stores, but if not, check any local craft store. You can use any size you like, but keep in mind the dimensions of the space where you will be hanging it. While you’re at the craft store, feel free to peruse the silk flower section, but I’ve always been able to find what I need at the dollar tree. Use hot glue to attach the flowers and greenery to the top left or right side of the hoop. You can also put it in a more central spot, but I like the look of the off-center foliage. 

If you’re feeling a bit more ambitious with your embroidery hoops, you can, well, embroider! This relaxing craft has a whimsical charm that will dazzle everyone who encounters it. An embroidery pattern like the one shown below is cute enough to display year-round!

Yarn Wreath 

Anthropologie has plenty of overpriced décor, but that doesn’t make it any less dreamy. Fortunately, you can make an Anthropologie Wreath dupe at home–with colors for Valentine’s Day! The Dollar Tree sells heart-shaped wire wreath frames you can use as your base. Cut some chunky red, white, and pink yarn into strips 3-4 inches long, then tie them onto your wireframe. The more yarn you use, the fluffier it’ll look! If yarn isn’t your style, you can use any kind of fabric or material in Valentine’s colors– try tulle, ribbon, or even old T-shirts! You can even make a couple of different heart wreaths for all different places in your house! 

Happy Crafting!

Whether you’re looking for a simple craft for the kids or a DIY gift for your sweetheart, we hope you’re feeling inspired! If you’re looking for easier Valentine’s day craft ideas for a younger crowd, check out our article on Valentine’s Crafts for toddlers.