Easy Valentine Crafts for Kids

By Rachel Vince

Love is in the air in this month of February as Valentine’s Day is approaching. Crafts are a great way for children to express their love to those in their lives, and to see the joy that their gift brings to others. Here are some great Valentine crafts for kids.

1.Valentine Heart Paper Wrap

Use potato prints to make homemade Valentine heart paper that can be used for Valentine cards, note paper or gift wrap.
Supplies Needed:
Plenty of white paper
Heart-shaped cookie cutter
Large raw potato
Pink and red tempera paint
Potato Prints

Adult to do the following: Slice a raw potato in half lengthwise. Place a cookie cutter on the cut side of one half of the potato. Push the cookie cutter into the potato while keeping the potato flat on the table. Break away the potato that's around the outside of the cookie cutter. Push the shape out of the cookie cutter. Dry off any moisture from the potato with a paper towel. Dip in paint and let your child have fun stamping!

2.Heart-Shaped Handprints
These make an excellent gift for grandparents.

Supplies Needed:
Rolling pin
Heart-shaped cake pan or heart-shaped cardboard cut-out
Plastic knife
Play clay(see recipe below)
Poster paints and paintbrushes
Pencil
Cookie sheet

Give your child a rolling pin, let him roll out the clay and press handprints into. Use a pencil to help your child print his name by the handprints. Let the heart dry in the mold or cut out the heart shape using a heart-shaped cardboard cut-out and place it on a cookie sheet to dry. Ask your child to decorate the heart-shaped handprint. Allow the paint to dry.
Play clay recipe:
2 cups baking soda
1 cup cornstarch(cornflour)
1 1/4 cups cold water
optional:food coloring to color clay

Stir together baking soda and cornstarch in saucepan. Add water and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches consistency of moist mashed potatoes(approximately 6 to 10 minutes). If clay is cooked too long, finished crafts may crack.
Remove mixture to plate and cover with damp cloth. When play clay is cool enough to handle, pat until smooth. If you find the clay crumbles when working with it, add a few drops of water at a time to soften. If you find clay sticks to the hard, smooth surface you're working on, use clay on wax paper. This is great for making and saving your child's hand or footprint impressions as a keepsake.

3.Heart and Hand Valentine

1.Trace your child’s hand on a piece of construction paper with a pencil and then cut it out.
2. Draw a heart small enough to fit on the hand with a pencil and cut it out.
3. Glue the heart to the front of the hand.
4. Write a special message inside the heart. For example: “Happy Valentine’s Day Grandma! I love you with all my heart.”

4.Candy Cane Valentine Cards
Use pink or red construction paper, folded in half to create a card. With two cellophane wrapped candy canes, tape them onto the card to form a heart. Tape them onto the front or inside of the card and add a Valentine message such as “I’m sweet on you Valentine” or “Sweets for a Sweetheart.”
About the Author: Rachel Vince. Rachel is a busy and happy Mom of two young children who feels blessed at having a second chance at life, seeing through the eyes of her children. For more favorite ideas that kids will enjoy visit her web site at www.create-kids-crafts.com This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright http://www.create-kids-crafts.com

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