Valentine's Day cards to make

Seasons > Valentine’s Day > Ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Family > Valentine Cards

Traditional Cards

Provide red, white, and pink paper, along with paper doilies, heart stickers, glitter, glue, scissors that cut a fancy edge, hole punches that cut holes in shapes suitable for Valentine cards, glue stick, tape, double stick tape, ribbon, rick=rack, bits of lace, buttons, etc. Stand back and see how creative they can be. Be warned--if your children are young, the cards are going to be ugly, but so full of love! Give them lots of experience, and they will be producing gorgeous cards by the time they are in middle school.

Invisible Ink

Once the cards have been made, write the message in lemon juice with a toothpick for an invisible message. Heat with an iron or lightbulb to see the message. (If you live in Japan, you can buy a pen at hundred yen stores that comes with a light on the cap to make the message visible.)

Coded Messages

Use the computer to make the message a mystery:

1. Flip the message horizontally so that it appears backwards. Hold it in front of a mirror to be able to read it.

2. Change the message into a symbol font, then tell them to change it into any font they want--as long as it’s not a symbol or foreign language, they should be able to read it.

3. Use Google translator to change it into a different language, and let them know that Google translator can translate it back into English.

Puzzle Cards

Buy blank puzzles at hundred yen stores and write your messages, or write a message on heavy paper and cut it into puzzle pieces.

Candy Messages

1. Use m;n;m’s to spell out a message on a desk or dresser.

2. Use wrapped candy or gum and glue or tape them into the message to replace words, such as “Don’t snicker if I kiss you because when I said, “I love you’ I mint (meant) it.” The pink words would be replace with candy.

3. Stick conversation hearts into the message with icing.

Fun Card Designs

For lots of cute kid-friendly card ideas, check out Family Fun website.

Message ideas for Kids Who Have Trouble Coming up with What to Write:

Making Valentine Cards is a tradition that Americans have practiced for many generations. It is a great way teach your children how to express words of affection and affirmation, and gratitude--both by observing the example set by the parents, and through practice of writing a love message to each member of the family each year. Not only do they benefit from receiving loving messages, but their future spouses will really appreciate this skill once they are grown and married.

First half of a sentence:

Thanks for...

I like it when you...

It makes me feel special when you...

I’m glad that you...

No one does_____________the way you do.

I feel good when you...

You sure know how to...

You are so good at...

You are better than anyone at...

Last half of a sentence:

reading a book to me.

throwing the ball with me.

hug me.

tickle me.

help me with my homework.

compliment me.

play games with me.

take me on dates.

rub my back.

wrestle with me.

teach me how to ______________.

listen to me.

are patient with me.

help me.

take me fun places (park, zoo, amusement park, the pool, the beach, ball game, museum, shopping, library, movies, etc)

cooking my favorite meals.

Closing Remark:

You are so...

nice

amazing

terrific

awesome

remarkable

stupendous

incredible

kind

helpful

caring

understanding

thoughtful

generous

gentle

considerate

my hero

Seasons > Valentine’s Day > Ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Family > Valentine’s Day Cards

Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3

Cut hearts out of plain and patterned paper in different sizes. You can use cookie cutters for a pattern. Glue to front of card.

Instead of cutting the heart shape out, tear it. The trick is to first out line the design with a wet paint brush. Then the wet paper is easy to tear right where you want it torn.

It doesn’t get any simpler than this--stick a flower sticker in the middle of a paper doily. You could mount this on a red heart.

Instead of folding the paper in half, fold it to the middle. Glue a heart doily on top, then carefully cut it along the slit so the card can be opened.

Glue 2 small squares of paper to the card. Glue a row of hearts in the middle--these can be stickers, sequins, or use a heart-shaped hole puncher to make the shapes.

Glue a piece of patterned paper to the front of a card, then cut the whole thing into a heart shape. Paper options: gift wrap, origami, scrapbooking paper

For more fun ways to express your love, check out 52 Simple ways to say, “I Love You” or others like it. It gives lots of fun ways to show your love, in more ways than just words, as important as that is. Different people (that includes kids!) have different love languages, so if you only express your love through words, they have a hard time recognizing it as love. To help you discover the love languages of the people in your family, check out “The Five Love Languages.” It describes 5 ways to express love-- words, gifts, time, touch, and acts of service. You can find these books at your local Christian bookstore, or through on-line companies such as Great Christian Books.