Easy and fun handmade cards for children to make at Valentine's Day.

Nothing shows love more than a personal card expressing love at Valentine’s Day. Make a hand-made card or make the card by hand to show your personal side.

Cute Characters Made from Hearts

It is easy to make different animals and creatures using only heart shapes. Some good ones to try are puppies, elephants, mice, penguins, frogs, and butterflies (the mouse and elephant do use modified heart shapes). To get an idea how to create heart animals see (Fig. 1) .

Make Heart Flowers

(for an example of the flower see Fig. 2)

Supplies

• craft foam or heavy paper
• paper fastener
• straws

Instructions

1. Cut out identical hearts in red or pink.
2. Cut out smaller hearts in green.
3. Arrange the red or pink together to make a flower. Pierce all the hearts through with a paper fastener and pierce through the straw too.
4. Attach leaves (green hearts) to the straw in the same way.

Hand Made Hearts

Use your hands to make personal hearts for cards (see Fig. 3).

Supplies

• Red or white acrylic paint or ink
• paper
• paintbrush or paint sponge (if using paint)
• paper or cardstock in desired colors
• other supplies as desired to decorate card.

Instructions for Small Heart

1. Paint along the outside of child’s hand along pinky and palm.
2. Curl the hand to form the top and side of the heart and make print on paper (see Fig 5)
3. Paint the child’s other hand and repeat process to make the second side of the heart.
4. If the child is older it is possible to do both sides of the heart at the same time.
5. Decorate card as desired and add an appropriate verse.

Instructions for Large Heart

1. Paint the entire hand with paint.
2. Make hand print on paper.
3. Paint second hand.
4. When making second handprint make sure to line it up so the thumb and forefinger meet the thumb and forefinger of previous handprint.
5. The space inside the hand will create a heart.
6. Decorate card as desired and add an appropriate verse.

Thumbprint Cards

Use your thumbprint to create clever cards with a personal touch. A thumbprint caterpillar could worm its way into your heart, you could ask the one you love to "bee mine," or let "somebunny" know that you love them. For examples of the ideas suggested see (see Fig. 4)

Cute Valentine Verses

You can fall from the mountains \ You can fall from above \ But the best way to fall \ Is to fall in love.

I wish I were an elephant \ And you were a load of hay. \ I’d put you on my great big back \ And carry you way.

From north to south, from east to west, \ You are the one I love the best. \ It’s as plain as ABC \ You’re the Valentine for me.

If you were 7 \ And I were 9 \ I’d say, "Please be \ My Valentine."