Make Your Own Valentine’s Day Swag

I can’t believe Valentine’s Day is already upon us. I know I’ve said it before—actually, I think I say it every year—I think Valentine’s Day is kind of a wasteful holiday. I feel like it’s really one of those days that’s more about the card companies, florists and chocolate companies making money than anything else.

Like last year, I will not be buying Valentine’s for my kids to give out at school. Instead, we’ll be taking the opportunity to turn this into an arts and crafts project. Last year, my son and I made his classmates each a personalized Valentine’s bookmark. I can’t even tell you how many people told me what a great idea it was, and that they were actually using it as a bookmark. Since my son isn’t in school with any of the same kids this year, we could do the same thing, but I think we’ll do something else this year, all the same.

Here are some ideas for Valentine Crafts for you to do with your kids this year:

Bake Something—As someone who enjoys baking, there’s nothing quite as fun as baking with your kids. I have a great cookie press, and one of the shapes is a heart. I know I’ve mentioned ways to make homemade treats healthier in the past, and I’ll remind you again. A cookie is as healthy as what you put in it. You can always choose healthier alternatives (or just use the healthy/natural ingredients you have in your cabinets already) and make a better cookie. My favorite substitute is applesauce instead of shortening. Just remember, if the recipe calls for one cup of shortening, only use ½ cup of applesauce.

Handy Valentines—I am a sucker for tracing my kids’ hands and making them into something. This valentine is especially nice to give to family members—grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles. It’s pretty simple, too. All you need to do is trace your child’s hand on a piece of paper, felt, wallpaper scrap, fabric scrap—really anything you choose. Next, have your child cut out the tracing of their hand. Then cut out a heart to put on the hand, or anything you choose. You could right something like “we hold each other’s hearts.” Don’t forget to put the year on this Valentine— in years to come the recipient will want to remember how old your little one was when their hand was that size.

Incorporate an Organic Lollipop—I’ve seen a lot of cute Valentines that are built around a lollipop. For example, there’s one that’s a flower and another that’s a butterfly. Both look like pretty simple crafts. The thing I like about this, is that you can introduce your recipients to a more natural choice in lollipops.

While you’re getting ready for Valentine’s Day, why not also take this opportunity to put some of your children’s half used crayons to use. I found a great sun catcher craft on Martha Stewart’s website. All you need are crayon shavings, wax paper and an iron. I’m going to give this project a try this weekend with my kids. And, since it stores flat, we’ll be able to reuse it for many Valentine’s Days to come!

Happy Valentine’s Day!