Get crafty with your kids this Valentine’s day with these easy ideas!
While I’d much rather be mixing margaritas and lounging on a chaise, while my kids run themselves ragged outdoors- with school officially closed and kids waiting restlessly to be entertained what’s a Staten Island mama to do with her brood during a blustery day?
My plan: Devise indoor diversions on those winter days when being outside just won’t do. Here are a few HOMEMADE crafts we’ll be making with some ends and ends around our house. Get crafty with your kids this Valentine’s day with homemade crafts!
Body glitter: Take aloe vera, essential oil and glitter. Put all of the ingredients into small bottles and shake well.
An ocean: Use an empty baby-food jar, blue food coloring, small shells and sand. Then place a layer of sand at the bottom of the jar. Add a thin layer of shells.
Then fill the jar with water, add two drops of blue food coloring; seal the jar with a hot-glue gun and shake well.
Make an ankle or hand bracelet out of bells. String the bells on brightly colored yarn and tie to the kids ankles and hands for lots of jingling fun. Or try to make drums: Use large empty coffee tins and fill with pasta, beans and rice and afterward, they can play their drums.
Edible bracelets: Take some round gummy candy, lifesavers and small licorice rope. String the round, holed candy and through the licorice rope. Tie off for a sweet bracelet, necklace or ring.
And Valentine’s Day is the perfect holiday to kick off some crafting fun… because rosy colors and a few heart shapes are all it takes to get into the Valentine’s Day spirit! And whether you’re planning a celebration at home or want to help your little ones make homemade valentines for their friends and classmates, Pottery Barn Kids has just the projects to help you spread a bit of Valentine’s Day cheer.
Get crafty with your kids this Valentine’s day
A fun art project that starts in the kitchen, these custom potato stamps are the perfect way to add your child’s signature touch to their homemade decorations or Valentine’s Day cards.
- Two or three medium-sized potatoes, scrubbed clean
- A very sharp paring knife
- Poster paint in festive colors
- Construction paper or other sturdy paper that can stand up to the paint
1. We recommend carving the potato stamps while the kids aren’t around, to lessen the possibilities for injury. Slice each potato in half, then use the tip of the knife to trace the outline of your desired shape in each half. Gently start to cut away the “negative” parts of the design, leaving your stamp design raised between 1/8 and 1/4 inch.
2. Fill small, shallow containers with paint. Let kids dip the potato stamps in the paint and press gently onto the paper.
This heart wreath adds a bit of Valentine’s Day cheer with just a few pink and red pipe cleaners!
- Chenille stems (also known as pipe cleaners) in red and pink
- Wire cutters
1. You may want to play around with a chenille stem or two to decide what size hearts you want to make and whether you’ll need to trim the stems slightly. Gently form a hook shape (like the top of a candy cane) at one end of a chenille stem, and an inch or two below it pinch the stem into a tight V shape. Form another hook an inch or two up the free end of the stem, use your wire cutters to trim it if necessary, and then give the two ends one or two twists to secure them together.
2. If you trimmed off some of the length of your stem, use that to measure and cut 10 or more additional stems to the length you desire. (Or go freestyle: you could also make a pretty wreath out of hearts in several sizes.) Before forming each stem into a heart, slip it through a heart on your growing wreath so they’re linked together.
Help your kids make the perfect Valentine’s gifts to share with their classmates and family. These blooming heart lollipops are a sweet way to share a treat!
Materials:
- Disc-shaped lollipops
- Construction paper in green and pink (or other colors in addition to pink)
- Glue dots (available at crafts stores) or a glue stick
- Scissors
1. Cut enough hearts out of your pink (or other color) paper so that you have one for each lollipop. We recommend making them just big enough to accommodate the lollipop wrapping, so the colorful candy looks like a flower center. Cut two small green leaves per lollipop. Make sure to give each leaf a slightly elongated “stem” that can be wrapped around the lollipop stick.
2. Use glue dots or a dab from the glue stick to affix a heart to each lollipop. Wrap leaf stems firms around the lollipop sticks and fix in place with glue dots or glue.
My daughter picked out these flower heart valentines and loved making them. As the parent these were very simple! Hardest part was finding the right lollipops and that they weren’t broken.
Hey there! I love your approach to celebrating Valentine’s Day—such a creative way to spend time with the kids! Crafting together is a perfect family activity. But have you ever thought about adding a bit of excitement to the mix? Maybe something fun for adults, like online games? It could be an interesting way to try something new this holiday. What do you think?
I recently explored a service available in Canada Wildsino that offers a clear and user-friendly interface. It\’s suitable for both beginners and experienced players. The interface is uncluttered, and key features are easy to find, helping to avoid confusion. It seems like a practical option for those who prefer a simple and well-organized environment.