I was recently browsing through the card aisles at a local drugstore, and I couldn’t help but thinking that as much as store-bought cards can be pretty, they are never quite as thoughtful as homemade cards.
You have to admit that buying a store-bought Valentine’s Day card is the easy way out, especially if you don’t add a hand-written personal message. Sure, writing a personal message can be hard, but it is so much more meaningful!
When it comes to kids, while they often can’t put thoughts to paper as effectively or as eloquently as adults can, making a homemade Valentine’s Day card is a wonderful way for them to express their creativity and their love for the recipient.
A homemade Valentine’s Day card can be elaborate, or it can be quite simple. One of my favorite cards is a three-layer heart-shaped card. Simply cut out three heart shapes in different sizes from three different types of paper (red construction paper, gift-wrap paper and colorful tissue paper in shades of red and pink work well) and glue them to each other, the large heart at the bottom and the smallest on top. Attach a small envelope with your Valentine’s Day message inside using a red ribbon, then fold to create a card.
Your Valentine’s Day card doesn’t have to be heart-shaped though! Little boys will probably enjoy different shapes and colors, such as simple geometric shapes or even simple car shapes glued to each other. Dinosaurs are always a hit with boys – use this simple template to trace and cut a dinosaur shape.
As always when crafting with kids, let them take the lead and try not to insist on some “ideal” result for the project. Focus on the process rather than on the results, and have fun!
Photo by Cláudia Assad
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I agree! My son helped me create this card for his classmates. Homemade cards do make a difference!
It’s gorgeous, Jen! Thanks for sharing.