Kid Valentine Round-Up

Day Four: Making Time For Romance… AFTER you get the kids’ Valentines made, of course!

If you have lots of littles (or even just one!) Valentine’s Day can be an exponential nightmare. Especially  if the memo home says, “Please, no candy.” Or worse, “Please, no store bought Valentines.”  

Our son is 17, so we’re long past the need to create hand made Valentines en masse, but I remember. Oh. I remember. I remember thinking, “SURE it’s cute your child’s name is Sophia-Annabelle, one word. But, it won’t fit on this tiny Valentine in 2nd grade penmanship.” I remember fighting with my child to get him to sign his own name, 30 times and wishing we’d named him, “G”.  And, oh the tears, “No, you’ll have to wait until Valentine’s Day to eat the candy. Yes, I’m sure someone will give you a Valentine with that kind of candy in it. Yes, I’ll save one of yours just in case.” Sigh.

Plus, there was always the fear: what if you choose/buy/make the WRONG thing and your kid gets laughed right out of the room. There’s always that kid, right? Who points and laughs and the rest of the little darlings join in. Sigh. 

And what’s up with the store-bought ones always including something completely inappropriate in the mix? If you need to give 30 Valentines, and the box of 15 has 5 in that say, “I think you’re HOTT!, how many boxes of Valentines must you buy? 

Oh! The pressure. Now multiply all that by 90, because you have 3 littles.  It’s no wonder you think you don’t have time for romance. You don’t! 

I can’t help you with the tears, long names, or the math (my son says it’s 3 boxes!) But I can save you some time! I’ve rounded up the cutest, kid-pleasing, handmade Valentines you can do with your littles of all ages. So, take a few notes and get cracking this weekend.  

DIY Kid Valentine Round-Up

Via U Create. What you need: a printer and boxes of Candy Hearts. EASY PEASEY! (free printable)

Adorable free download from Sweet Muffin Suite. What you need: a printer and pencils. You could also use Pixie Sticks!! 

Butterflies! What you need: card stock,Lollies, and goggly eyes. School say “no candy”? Use a pencil! Via Skip to My Lou

Who doesn’t love Swedish Fish? These are adorable. What you need: plastic bags, a printer, ribbon, candy. Via I Heart Naptime.  (PS: goldfish crackers work for the toddler set!) 

Be Amazing! Fun printable maze. What you need: printer and pencils.  Found on Balancing Home. 

Arrg, Be Mine, Matey! This one will take a wee bit more work, but it’s SO cute. Kids can color in the printable. Click over to Mer Mag for ideas on how to incorporate candy via your sewing machine! (Ps, if you don’t want to sew: why not have your kids use a heart sticker or color the heart patch on?)

Knock Knock jokes are so fun! Tutorial from Delia Creates. What you need: printer, card stock, candy. 

Lolly Pop Flowers! What you’ll need: paper, lolls, glue stick. Via Spoonful. Click for more ideas too! 

Knock Knock Oranges! What you’ll need; paper, pens, chenille pipe cleaners, and satsumas. Via Bless this Mess Please.

Via Tutus and Tiaras: Monster Valentine Cards– these are so cute! Free printable on the blog: you’ll just need paint, pens, goggly eyes, and some imagination. For the  monster body, you could have smaller children use their thumb prints!