Valentine's Day: Easy Cards that Kids Can Make

It’s Valentine’s Day and crafters of all ages will love making these homemade Valentine’s greetings for friends and loved ones.

Thumbprint Heart Card

Who knew that tiny thumbs could make such cute heart shapes?  Here’s what you will need:

• ½ sheet of construction paper (pick any color other than red)
• A small puddle of red acrylic paint
• One pair of tiny googly eyes
• A black fine-tip marker

Instructions:

• Fold construction paper in half and crease to make a fold-open card.
• On the front of card, make a thumbprint heart.  Simply dip your child’s thumb in red acrylic paint.  At an angle to the right, make a print on the card.  Repeat angling to the left and overlapping prints at the bottom to make a heart shape. 
• Glue googly eyes on heart.
• Add detail such as arms, legs, and a smile with fine-tip marker.
• Don’t forget to write “Happy Valentine’s Day” on the front and add a personal message inside.

        

                        

Peek-a-Boo Card

Grandparents love nothing more than to get a card with their grandchildren’s picture in it.  Here’s what you will need to make this simple card:

• Red card stock
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Glue stick
• Two identical photocopied images cut to fit the inside of your card
• Heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 5 inches)

Instructions:

• Fold card stock and trace cookie cutter design onto card stock.  Be sure that the top part of the heart is on the fold so when you cut it out you will have two complete heart shapes that are hinged at the top.
• Using one image, determine the placement of the eyes and mark with a pencil on the front of the card.  You make have to poke holes in this image for accurate placement.
• Using your hole-puncher, punch holes on the front heart where you put pencil marks.
• Glue the other image to the inside heart making sure that the eyes line up with the holes on the front.
• Write your Valentine’s Day message on the card.

Chewing Gum Butterfly Cards

This oh-so-simple butterfly card uses heart-shaped, construction paper wings and sticks of chewing gum to form the body.  Here’s what you will need:

• Red or pink construction paper
• Heart-shaped cookie cutters for the wing pattern
• pencil
• Two sticks of chewing gum
• Two lengths of black pipe cleaner for antennae
• Tape or glue

Instructions:

• Form butterfly antennae from two lengths of black pipe cleaner
• Lay two sticks of gum on top of each other.  Sandwich pipe cleaner antennae at the top between the sticks of gum.  Tape or glue well to avoid shifting.  Tape or glue the gum together at the bottom as well.
• Cut two construction paper hearts using heart-shaped cookie cutter patterns.  These will be your wings.
• Write Valentine’s Day messages on them.
• Glue to the top stick of gum to form butterfly wings.