DIY Creative Valentine’s Day Cards & Crafts

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Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to break out the craft supplies and let your creative juices flow. Whether you’re making cards for your kid’s class or crafting something special with that certain someone, I’ve got you covered with a variety of fun and unique projects. Grab your glitter and glue because we’re about to get crafty with these heart-filled, and hands-on Valentine’s Day crafts.

In this article:

  1. Pop-Up Heart Cards
  2. Thumbprint Heart Bookmarks
  3. Love Bug Magnets
  4. Heart Garland
  5. Mason Jar Love Notes

Pop-Up Heart Cards

Pop-up heart cards are like the jack-in-the-box of Valentine’s Day – you know something’s coming, but the surprise is still delightful. These cards are perfect for making anyone feel special and loved, with a little added pop of excitement.

Materials Needed:

Directions:

  1. Fold the Cardstock: Take a piece of cardstock and fold it in half to create your card base. Make sure the crease is nice and crisp by going over the fold several times.
  2. Cut Out Hearts: Cut out several heart shapes (with tabs) from different colors of cardstock. If your cutting skills are as wonky as mine, use a stencil to keep things neat.
  3. Create the Pop-Up: Fold each heart in half. The folded par will face the outside of the card. Glue one tab of the heart to the inside of the card, aligning it with the crease, and then glue the other tab to the opposite side of the card so it pops up when you open it. Repeat this with a few hearts for a 3D effect. Pop-up cards – because love should leap off the page.
  4. Decorate: Use markers or colored pens to write a sweet message inside. Add some heart-shaped stickers if you’re feeling extra fancy, or some valentine’s confetti that sprinkles out when they open the card.

Pro Tip: They have eco-friendly confetti these days so that you can feel good about your festive flare!

Pop-up hearts are a delightful surprise. It shows the person you are gifting it to that you created something as special as they are, just for them.

This could be a really fun craft to do at a “Valentine’s Day Party for Any Age”, check out my post on hosting a Valentine party by clicking that link.

Thumbprint Heart Bookmarks

Thumbprint heart bookmarks are a sweet and personal way to show you care. Plus, they’re a great excuse to get a little messy with ink – who doesn’t love that? This craft is fun to do with kids. It makes a great, easy DIY V-Day surprise to take to the classroom.

Materials Needed:

Directions:

  1. Cut the Bookmarks: Cut the cardstock into bookmark-sized strips. If you’re a perfectionist, use a ruler; if you’re more of a free spirit, just go for it.
  2. Make Thumbprint Hearts: Press your thumb onto an ink pad and then onto the bookmark to create one side of the heart. Repeat with the other thumb to complete the heart shape. Continue until you have a delightful pattern of thumbprint hearts. Thumbprints are like love’s fingerprints – unique and totally yours.
  3. Add a Ribbon: Punch a hole at the top of the bookmark and thread a ribbon through if you want to get fancy. Or don’t – it’s your call.
  4. Personalize: Use markers to write a message or the recipient’s name on the bookmark.

Optional: Why not laminate these little gifts so that they can be used for many books to come. Man, I love laminating things! Any other laminating fanatics out there?! (Whispers “lamination”)

These bookmarks are perfect for school Valentine’s Day gifts because they can be used after the party is over. Instead of traditional cards that, if you’re like me, get thrown away as soon as the candy gets peeled off it. Maybe I’m a monster, but let’s make something the kids can use, love and personalize.

Love Bug Magnets

Love bug magnets are adorable, quirky, and way less annoying than real bugs. They’re perfect for adding a touch of whimsy to your fridge or stealing the spotlight from your kids’ school art.

Materials Needed:

Directions:

  1. Cut your photos to size: Whatever you are wanting to use as the decoration piece, make sure you print them (at home or elsewhere) to the correct size.

Pro Tip: If you have a piece of artwork you want to preserve, take a photo of it and print the smaller version for the magnet.

  1. Use the square (or whatever shape you want) magnet as the base: Mod Podge a thin layer on top of the magnet, place the photo, another thin layer of mod podge on top.

Pro Tip: Make sure you are adding the photo to the right side of the magnet (test which side sticks to the fridge).

  1. Let Dry

Viola! You have the cutest, personalized gift for your loved one. Consider creating a few of these to make a ‘set’. For the romantic: make a set of magnets with photos of each date you have been on. Awe, so cute!

Heart Garland

Heart garlands are perfect for making any space feel festive and full of love. They’re easy to make and add a charming touch to your home decor. You could do this craft as a family and hang each persons garland, or get boujee with it and make it a piece of decor you can use for years to come!

Materials Needed:

Directions:

  1. Cut Out Hearts: Cut out heart shapes from the colored, glitter paper or fabric. Make them as big or as small as you like – variety is the spice of life!
  2. Create the Garland: Punch a hole at the top of each heart. Thread a piece of string or ribbon through the holes to create your garland. Or tread the string through the center of the paper or fabric hearts. Whichever style you think you want to go for.
  3. Secure the Hearts: If you want the hearts to stay in place, add a dab of glue or puff paint where the string meets each heart.

Pro Tip: Puff paint can also be used to decorate some of the hearts to add texture and uniqueness.

  1. Hang it Up: Find the perfect spot to display your heart garland. Drape it over a mantle, across a window, or around your pet for a festive photo op (if they’ll let you).

Get creative and use prints of your favorite photos as some of the hearts. Or sew (if you’ve got the time) the fabric pieces into little heart pillow puffs before adding them to the string. You can make this craft as simple or detailed as you want it to be.

Hosting thought: what if this was the chosen craft for your next lady’s night?! Think about it – charcutier boards, champagne, heart garland crafts! Yeah, I’m going to do this for sure, stay tuned!

Fun! If you do this too, I want to hear all about it in the comments.

Ps, any excuse for a charcutier board and I’m on it like spanks on date night! Speaking of date night, this could be a fun craft to pair along with my other “Amazing Valentine’s Date Ideas” check out that post by clicking the link.

Mason Jar Love Notes

Mason jar love notes are a sweet and thoughtful way to show someone you care. They’re perfect for anyone who loves a little mystery and surprise – just like love itself.

Materials Needed:

Directions:

  1. Cut the Paper: Cut the colored paper into small squares or rectangles. You can make them uniform or mix it up with different sizes. Or cut them into hearts, because Valentine’s Day.
  2. Write Love Notes: On each piece of paper, write a love note, a compliment, or a reason why you love the recipient. Aim for sweet and thoughtful, or throw in a few jokes if that’s your style.
  3. Fill the Jar: Fold each note and place it in the Mason jar. Keep going until the jar is full or you run out of nice things to say.
  4. Decorate the Jar: Tie a ribbon around the jar’s neck, and add a label or a tag if you’re feeling extra crafty.

These love notes are a great way to make sure your partner hears all the nice things you’ve ever thought but never said. Plus, they can refer back to the jar on any given rainy day.

That’s it – five fun and creative Valentine’s Day crafts that are sure to spread love and fun. Remember, the best crafts come from the heart (and a little bit of glitter). So, grab your supplies and get crafting!

Have your own craft ideas or funny craft fails? Share them in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!

Throws eco-friendly heart confetti into the sky, with sass,
Anna

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