Valentine’s Day 2014 – we heart DIY!
The best Valentine’s Day gifts come straight from the heart and when you’re a kid, that means the best gift is something you’ve made yourself. We’ve gathered a whole heap of fun DIY Valentine’s Day projects that you can do for, and with, the kids.
Valentine’s Day is all about love and what little kid doesn’t love to accessorise? They can play dress-ups to their heart’s content with these cutesy heart necklaces. All you need is some string, some straw, some hearts… and these instructions from Craftzine.
Show me a parent of kinder-aged kids who’s not drowning in artwork and I’ll… well, it doesn’t matter because there’s no such thing as a parent of kinder-aged kids NOT drowning in artwork. Here’s one of the cutest ways yet to repurpose that artwork from Red Ted Art, with perfect Valentine’s Day potential. This is a project that parents and kids can do together for stunning results worthy of hanging in any room of the house.
From hearts that hang to hearts that dangle. here’s another way to get into the spirit of Valentine’s Day. This project’s especially easy. Just download the free heart templates we found over at The Elli Blog, then simply print, cut and hang. Older children who have mastered scissors can help too. Voila, one impressive scene setter come February 14.
Sometimes it’s the simplest things that mean so much, and here’s a DIY Valentine idea found on Pinterest that even the littlest kids can tackle as long as they’ve passed the I-love-to-eat-glue stage.
Older kids will go gaga for these Valentine-themed fortune tellers from Design Mom. I loved these when I was a kid and my daughter is now similarly hooked. Simply print and fold for hours and hours of fun. Truly, kids never tire of these lovelies.
Here’s something else that’s so easy, anyone can do it. Well, I digress. Anyone who’s old enough to handle a sharp knife, that is. Tomatoes are the fruit of love, or so they say, and imagine the smiles when the kids find these in their lunchbox for a sweet school-time snack. Find the not-so-tricky instructions for making your own cherry tomato hearts at Recipe By Photo. While the recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, I recommend going with mini roma or grape tomatoes for their handier oval shape.
Handy with a needle and thread? Then your favourite little girl could look just as cute as this cherub. She’s dressed in an obviously adorable shaggy heart dress not so obviously made from an old t-shirt of her mum’s. This project’s a bit beyond me – I have yet to master the art of sewing a button back on – but those who know their way around a sewing machine can find detailed instructions for creating their own Valentine’s Day outfit, complete with matching heart knee leggings, over at Make It & Love It.
While you’ve got the thread handy, have a go at these terribly adorable heart hair clips. Easily made from felt, there are a whole bunch of different heart clippies to inspire, complete with instructions over at The Purl Bee.
We have a whole collection of paper roll critters that my daughter made in prep at school last year. I’m sure she’ll cartwheel at the chance to add a few more to the menagerie when I show her these Valentine owls. One that the kids can tackle on their own, they’re a whole hoot of cute. All the how-to bits you need are over at Happy Clippings.
If your house is anything like mine, you’re drowning in leftover Christmas candy canes. Let them live again as white chocolate heart pops for your little Valentines, courtesy of this easy-to-follow tutorial over at Sprinkle Some Sunshine. Sweet.
Just when you think we’ve covered it all when it comes to edible rainbow delights, along come heart-shaped rainbow cheesecakes. Yes, rainbow cheesecakes. In the shape of hearts. Yum. Find the recipe over at Tablespoon.
And here’s one final project spotted on Color Me Katie that the kids are sure to tackle happily – heart rocks. All it takes are a few flat rocks, some acrylic paint and some heart-shaped templates for the finishing touch. Now you’re ready to rock on!