How to Make Valentine’s Day Cards with Kids

Watch more Happy Valentine's Day videos: howcast.com/videos/127504-How-to-Make-Valentine…

The best Valentine’s Day cards to give—and get—are the ones you make from scratch.

Warning
Children under four should not use scissors, and kids four through nine should use safety scissors.

Step 1: Create the basic card
Create a basic card by folding a piece of construction paper in half, and then in half again. Don’t feel you have to stick with red and pink. Using non-traditional colors will make your card stand out.

Step 2: Cut a cool edge
Trim the edges of the card with decorative-edge scissors, which create an interesting edge as you cut. Designs include scallop, wave, ripple, and torn paper.

Step 3: Pick a cover image
Decide what you want on the cover. You can draw or paint something right on the card; create the design on a separate piece of paper; or use a personal photo, a picture from a magazine, or a king or queen of hearts from an old deck of cards.

Tip
Make your own craft paint by mixing three parts glue to one part water and a few drops of food coloring.

Step 4: Punch it up
If you’re transferring an image onto the cover, punch holes around the edges and lace a piece of ribbon or yarn through them, tying the ends into a bow at the top.

Step 5: Prep the cover
Glue a background on the cover, like a doily, a square of velvet, a piece of fabric, or some aluminum foil. Or, use one of those materials to create a border.

Tip
Use decoupage glue—it won’t leave bumps the way regular glue can.

Step 6: Glue on the picture
Glue on your cover image, and add whatever embellishments you’d like: beads, candy hearts, stickers. Leave room for a greeting if you’d like.

Step 7: Write messages
Using a slim marker, write your cover greeting and a message inside. For a more professional look, use a stencil-alphabet kit.

Tip
Not feeling inspired? Find a poem online, paste it into a document on your computer, format it in fancy font, and glue it inside the card.

Step 8: Be nice!
If the cards are going to classmates, make sure no one is left out.

Did You Know?
Valentine’s Day is the second most popular greeting-card holiday, after Christmas. Mother’s Day comes in third.