easy homemade valentine's day cards that you can make at the last minute
If we’re anything alike, you’ve found yourself caught off guard by February and scrambling to piece together something for your child’s Valentine’s Day class exchange. I always think I’ll have plenty of time to buy some at the store, but then life takes over and I forget to add any to my cart.
This year, we were asked to have our child make valentines for his Waldorf kindergarten class. The request specifically said that they should be simple and actually made by our kindergarteners, not parents. I thought about making melted crayon valentines in rock or heart shapes, but in the end, I decided to reign it in and have my kids paint cutout paper hearts in pink, purple, red, and white.
I did a similar version of this craft when my son was younger, so as long as you’re willing to let little ones get messy (or have art smocks at the ready), this is adaptable for toddlers too!
supplies
kraft paper or a tablecloth to cover the table
paper: like the Crayola marker/watercolor pads or construction paper
scissors
paint: we have a solid stash of the Crayola washable paints but watercolor or tempera would work great, too!
brushes: nothing fancy here, just a collection of Crayola and Mondo Llama brushes. Eventually, I plan to go Full Waldorf Mom and buy some nice natural fiber brush sets.
paint cups: use the spillproof kind if you have them or use old jars like I did—even
how to make painted heart valentines
Cut hearts out of paper (have your child help if they want to!)
Pour a small amount of paint into paint pots
Let the creativity flow!
I placed a cloth napkin for my daughter to wipe her fingers on. She’s not usually bothered by paint on her fingers but for children who are, this could be a good option to help them participate in the activity!
The painted hearts took only an hour or two to dry. I’ll finish them off by writing my son’s name on the back of them (his teacher told us there was no need to name every single child in the class) and maybe add Happy Valentine’s Day, too!
Wishing you a lovely Love Day and happy painting!
