Valentine's Day is all about love, and what better way to show love than with a handmade arts and crafts project the whole family will love. We know it can be tough to find Valentine's Day crafts that are easy enough to do with your toddler, preschooler, or kindergartener. But, these easy peasy Valentine's crafts are fun for the whole family, even for beginners!
DIY Valentine Gift Ideas
Smiles are sure to abound from DIY Valentine's gifts that come from the heart and hand. All of these creative Valentine's Day crafts can be used as a festive and fun decoration or as a memorable keepsake to remind us that love is everywhere.Love, just like your child's creativity, knows no bounds! Have fun by using all types of art supplies to make these homemade Valentine gifts. Then, enhance your designs with texture, shimmer, and shine to give to that special someone!
1. Mini Canvas Artwork
“This world is but a canvas to our imagination.” - Henry David ThoreauBig dreamers come in small packages! From toddlers to kindergarteners, this mini canvas Valentine’s Day crafts project is perfect for young kids with a little or a lot of imagination. Multiple mini canvases often come in a pack, so you can quickly and affordably make DIY gifts for everyone on your Valentine’s list or a mural for the one nearest and dearest to your heart.Begin by gathering your art supplies and readying your workspace. With younger children, you may want to cover your table with craft/newspaper first.
Craft Supplies List
For this Valentine’s Day craft, we used mini canvases. Find them from a craft store or Amazon or make your own from sturdy cardboard/posterboard.)Mini CanvasesChunkies Paint Sticks (3 variety packs available)Rainbow Sparkle Markers
Chunkies Paint Sticks
The easiest way to apply large swatches of color to your Valentine's Day craft is with paint sticks. They glide on, dry quickly, and don't smudge, making them perfect for the younger artist.But don't be fooled. These vibrant paint sticks are not just for kids. You can paint beautiful heart designs onto your mini canvas, but don't feel like you have to color them the traditional red. Let your imagination take hold and get expressive with all the bright colors.Chunkies Paint Sticks come in various hues, from classic colors to neon and metallic, to suit any project you can dream up. The thick plastic barrels are easy to hold, keep fingers clean and just twist up for more paint. They are the perfect tool for little or big artists alike.
Sparkle Glitter Markers
Start with sparkle! Rainbow Sparkle Glitter Markers add fun and shine to any art project. First, outline your hearts, then you can decorate with one of the ten classic color glitter markers. Fill in with one of the 5 glitter pastel colors to give your Valentine's Day craft some zing! Or make it pretty in pink.Tip: If you're giving the canvas for a Valentine's day gift, leave some room somewhere to add a personal or heartfelt message for the recipient. Add a small easel for displaying your art.
2. Wooden Heart Cutouts
These wooden cutouts can be used as Valentine hanging ornaments or strung together to form Valentine's Day garland of happy sparkly hearts for decoration.
Craft Supplies List
You can find unfinished wood heart cutouts ready to paint or decorate at a craft store near you or on Amazon.Wood heart cutoutslil’ Poster Paints (2 varieties available)lil’ Paint Brush SetPixie Paste Glitter GlueDot-A-Lot Dimensional Craft Paint (Pearlescent or Neon)
Poster Paints
Choose your palette for painting your wood cutout, pretty in pink, classic red, or passionate purple, or your preferred shade. An assortment of paintbrushes is excellent for options in creating your Valentine's day craft. With the wooden cutout, you may want to prep paint both sides. Just be sure to leave time for drying in your project. Poster paint pods are great for filling in the background by using a larger brush. For more delicate designs, use a brush with a pointed tip.
Glitter Glue
Once your heart cutouts are painted, the next step is to add some dazzle! Glitter glue is one of our favorites. Each jar has a brush attached to the cap for easy application. With 6 colors & glitter glue styles, your Valentine will surely shine.
3-D Craft Paint:
Another option is adding a Dot-a-Lot Craft Paint to your heart cutouts. You can prep the wooden surfaces or choose to paint directly on the wood. Create borders and patterns that stand out in lustrous pearly shades or go bold with a few neon tones. Simply squeeze the bottle to add dots of paint or draw heart patterns. It's essential to allow for ample drying time after applying.
3. Cute Potato Print Cards
Did you ever make potato stamp Valentine cards when you were a kid? We remember mixing paints on the bottom of the potato stamp and layering another color on top. Using cookie cutters, we would make all kinds of letters and hearts. Then we would use glitter, paint, and ribbon to add texture to this Valentine's Day craft. It was such a fun way to give unique Valentine's Day cards that you could never find in any store.
Craft Supplies List
Try to use potatoes in all different shapes and sizes!PotatoesCookie cutters and a knife to cut around the shapeCraft paperlil Paint Brush Setlil' Poster Paint PodsChroma Blends™ watercolor paint set or watercolor brush markersDot-A-Lot Dimensional Craft Paint (Pearlescent or Neon)Any art and DIY supplies you can dream of!
Great Valentine’s Craft for All Ages
The DIY potato stamps craft for Valentine's Day cards and letters is excellent for all ages! The young ones can pick out their cookie-cutter and push it into the potato as far as it will go. Then an adult can help trim around the cutter with a knife. Now you're set to create! It's as easy as that!There's no limit on the art supplies you can use for this unique and fun Valentine's Day craft. Experiment with paints, watercolors, and markers for stamping. Try dot-a lots for texture, and don't forget the glitter glue!
Potato Printing Tips and Tricks
- Leave your cookie cutter in the potato while cutting around it. It makes it SO much easier!!
- After you're done cutting the potato, stamp your potato without any paint on a piece of paper to help dry it out. We did this a few times until it felt pretty dry, and it helped the color go on and stamp much better.
- When stamping with paint, we found less is best! Otherwise, it squishes out the side ( unless that's the look you're going for!) Also, we found painting it on with a paintbrush worked very best!
- Have FUN!!! This craft is so much fun, and each Valentine was so unique!
Check out some of these cute examples of DIY Valentine's cards from guest blogger Kalani Watson:
