Valentine’s Day is a special time to give the people we love a beautiful card. Back in the old days, we often created these cards with our own little hands. When a child gives a homemade Valentine card to a parent, or especially a grandparent, you can be assured that no store-bought card can ever compete!
No matter how simple your child’s creation is, it’s the sentiment that counts. Don’t worry about perfection, just let your youngsters express themselves on their Valentine creations. Gather together a few supplies and let’s get started making Valentine cards that are straight from the heart!
Hand Holding Heart Valentine – With just a few simple supplies your child can present a charming and heart warming Valentine to someone they love. For this classic card you’ll need to have a couple sheets of construction paper in a few colors. You’ll also need a pencil, scissors, glue, and markers if you wish.
Have your child hold their hand out with fingers spread on one piece of construction paper. Trace the outline of your child’s hand using a pencil, then cut out the hand drawn on the construction paper. Next, draw (or have your child draw) a heart small enough to fit within the palm of the hand on another piece of construction paper, choosing a different color if desired. Now, glue the heart onto the palm of the hand. Your child can either write a message on the heart or draw a picture, whichever is appropriate for his or her age. If your child presents this Valentine card to Grandma you are sure to get a tear or two!
Ribbon And Bow Valentine Heart – If your child enjoys creating with ribbon, this is a great card to make. You’ll need some card stock or construction paper, scissors, a pencil, hole punch, and some thin ribbon or yarn. You can make the heart fancier if you have special scrapbooking scissors available.
Start by drawing a heart on the construction paper or card stock. Then, cut out the heart using special scissors if you can, or regular ones will work, too. Using the hole punch, have your child punch holes along the edge of the heart, being sure to end up with an even number of holes. Taking the ribbon or yarn, fold in half, and start looping one half through the holes at the bottom of the heart and up one side, ending with the loose ribbon at the top. Then repeat up the other side with the other half, ending with two loose ribbon ends at the top of the heart. Tie those two ends together to form a pretty bow. Now your child can decorate the heart with sentiments, glitter, stickers, or whatever a pretty Valentine should have!
Collage Valentine Card – Sometimes a glittery heart isn’t what your little one wants to present to Grandpa or Dad. An alternative is a collage of images that will please him or that expresses your feelings. You’ll just need some construction paper, scissors, craft glue, and magazines or catalogs that suit the recipient’s interests.
Fold the construction paper in half to form a card. Now, sit down with the magazines and catalogs and let your child choose and cut out pictures that would be appealing to Dad or Grandpa. Once your child has a nice supply of pictures, it’s time to begin gluing them onto the construction paper card. Just ask your child to use his or her imagination and arrange the pictures so the card has a pleasant appearance. You can glue some pictures to the front of the card as an introduction and write your greeting on the front, inside, or both. The addition of a few nice handwritten Valentine wishes and a signature is all you need.
Begin today gathering up your best Valentine card supplies. Then, sit down with your youngsters and help them start designing their own one-of-a-kind homemade Valentine cards for the people they love. A Valentine card made with your child’s very own little hands is a special touch, indeed! Happy Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day crafts and party ideas that the whole family can enjoy are just a click away at ShowKidsTheFun.com. Make this holiday fun with new crafts and activities that your kids with love!
