Creating Valentine’s Day crafts provides your child with an opportunity to express her creativity and her love for others. Since handmade Valentine’s craft projects created by your kids can also be used as Valentine’s Day gifts, you are able to repurpose them and put them to use once they are completed. Since the gifts are handmade, they will likely be cherished and proudly displayed by the recipients.
Valentine’s Day Wreath
If you’re looking for an easy Valentine’s Day craft to do with your child, Kaboose.com recommends making a Valentine’s Day paper conversation heart wreath. To create a base for the wreath, your kid may need your assistance. The base is created by tracing a 9-inch paper plate onto a piece of cardboard, and then drawing a circle about an1-inch inside of the circle you traced. Cutting out both circles creates your base. If your child is over age 5, cutting out several hearts from various colored Valentine’s-themed construction paper can likely be done without assistance. Younger children may need your help. Making a heart template out of cardboard for your child to trace onto paper or assisting him with cutting out the hearts are ways you can help. Pink, purple, blue and red paper will work well since those colors tend to be found in heart-shaped candies that have words like “love” or phrases like “be mine” printed on them. After cutting the hearts out, brainstorm words to write on each heart with your child. Depending on your child’s ability, he may or may not need your help writing the words. “Sweetie” and “kiss” are appropriate words to use in addition to “love” or “be mine” on your hearts. Arranging the hearts around the wreath base before gluing them down can help your child to solidify their positioning. Once the wreath is dry, attach a piece of looped string or yarn to the back of it for hanging.
Heart Lacing Craft
For children who need a little practice developing their fine motor skills and tying knots, a Valentine’s Day lacing craft is a nice option. Depending on the age of your child, she may need your assistance. DLTK-Holidays.com cites this craft as appropriate for children ages 2 and up. Creating a cardboard template for your child to trace onto red or white cardstock can help ensure that the heart is shaped symmetrically. After tracing the heart, have your child cut it out using blunt-tip scissors. Poking holes 2 inches apart around the outside of the heart, about a 1/2 inch from the edge, will create the lacing pattern. A hole punch can be used to make the holes. Using ribbon with tape attached to the ends so it looks like the end of a shoelace, your child can thread the ribbon around the heart through the holes. Starting from the bottom of the heart will allow your child to finish at the bottom. When she does, she will have two ends that can be used to tie a knot or bow. Preparing the heart for lacing ahead of time may be helpful if younger children need the craft modified for their skill level.
Valentine’s Straw
Practical Valentine’s Day crafts are crafts that can be used after they are created. Using a simple heart-shaped paper cutout, your child can transform her ordinary drinking straw into a Valentine’s-themed straw. Decorating the heart using stickers, glitters or other embellishments can make the heart more festive. Punching two holes into the heart-shaped cutout, one near the top and one near the bottom, provides the threading pattern for the straw. Once the straw is threaded through the dried, decorated heart cut-out, it is ready for use.
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