Kid-Friendly Valentine Projects

Before I share a few of my favorite Valentine projects that I've done with the girls over the last few years, I have to share two more free printables. The first one is from allsorts.

Isn't she lovely? You can find the pdf template here.

Pretty Little Studio is also offering two vintage Valentine images here.

In today's post, I'm recycling a few of my all-time favorite kid-friendly Valentine craft projects. They are all fairly easy and a few of them are definitely toddler friendly...pinky swear.

Project 1: Fingerpaint Valentine Flowers & Vase
I've said this before, but I appreciate all the fingerpaintings that Josie brings home from preschool/daycare. Her daycare gets the MESS and I enjoy coming up with new ways to recycle them into different artwork. Two years ago, the girls helped me make a lovely Valentine bouquet out of Josie's fingerpaintings.

Project 2: Construction Paper Heart Animals

I'm sure you aren't surprised, but the owls were my favorite Valentine animals. If we made them a bit smaller, they would even look cute on homemade Valentine cards.

Along with the owls, we made a frog, a couple of butterflies, a ladybug and a mouse. If you click on the image to make it larger, you can see how to assemble the animals. They are pretty easy and the designs are endless. The main supplies needed for this craft include construction paper, a hole punch for punching out little circles to decorate the ladybug's back and butterfly's wings, scissors and glue.

Project 3: Tissue Paper Heart Flowers

This craft is actually two different kinds of flowers (both of which are toddler friendly).

Flower #1

Supplies:

Card stock or construction paper
Green pipe cleaners
Markers, crayons, stickers,
Scissors

Step 1. Start by cutting out several different hearts out of construction paper. Card stock works even better.

Step 2. Have your child decorate the hearts with markers, crayons, stamps or stickers.

Step 3. Cut 3 small slits with scissors in the center of the heart.

Step 4. Thread the pipe cleaner through. This is great for fine motor development, but really little hands will need help. The pipe cleaner should have some extra after being threaded through and you will bend that to secure it.

Step 5. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until all your hearts have stems. Tie a pretty bow around your stems or put it in a vase.

Flower #2

Supplies:

Tissue paper (at least 3 different colors)
Green pipe cleaners
Hole punch
Scissors

Step 1. Cut the tissue paper into circles. I varied the size of the circles (small, medium and large) but it doesn't have to be exact.

Step 2. Take your hole punch and make a hole in the center of the tissue circles.

Step 3. Take the end of a pipe cleaner and gently push it through the center of the tissue paper.

Step 4. When you have all the issue pieces on the stem, bend the top inch of the pipe cleaner into a little loop or thread a bead onto the pipe cleaner.

Step 5. Use your hands to crumple all the layers of paper into one big mess.

Step 6. Gently uncrumple the tissue mess and you will discover a beautiful bloom.

These flowers would also make great gifts for Grandmothers or Aunts for Mother's day.

Project 4: Bead Hearts

This craft is so easy, a toddler can do it. Josie was 2 1/2 when she worked on this project.

Supplies needed for this craft include: medium sized plastic beads and white pipe cleaners. I actually got both items at our local grocery store. I bet a Dollar Store might even carry these supplies too.

Step 1. Take the pipe cleaner and string one bead to an inch of the end of the pipe cleaner. Loop the pipe cleaner around the bead so that the bead doesn't slip off the end of the pipe cleaner.

Step 2. Pour the beads into a small container and let your child string the beads onto the pipe cleaner.

Step 3. Have your child string beads until there is about a inch left of the pipe cleaner.

tep 4. Take the pipe cleaner and form a circle. Close off the ends by twisting the pipe cleaner together. Use the excess pipe cleaner to form a hook.

Step 5. Pinch down the circle to form the sides of a heart. Make a point near the center to form the v of the heart. You're done.

Happy Crafting!

XOXO