Homemade Valentine's Day Gifts

Picture Hearts

Preschoolers need help when it comes to making things.  Using scissors isn’t easy for them and sometimes markers and crayons can be their own worst enemy.  However, foam can be great fun for a preschooler to work with. Making a picture heart for Mom can be fun for them and a special gift for Mom.

Each child will need to bring a self portrait to make his heart picture with. Go to your local craft store and look for the pre-cut foam shapes that are in valentine shapes.  This will make it much easier for your toddler.  All they have to do is punch out the shapes.  No drawing or cutting is required. 

Children will need a heart shape that is big enough to hold their picture. After they have played with it and checked it all, which you know they will do because it’s something different, give them a glue stick, which is easier for them to use than the bottle glue and less of a mess.  Let them glue their picture to the center of the heart.

Now they have their own valentine picture to give to Mom, Dad or their grandparents.  Their picture gives it that special touch and gives the person who receives it a special heartfelt gift to treasure for years to come.   

Valentine’s Day Coasters for Dad

Children like to surprise Dad with gifts.  Valentine’s Day is no exception.  This is an easy craft for preschoolers to make and give to their father on Valentine’s Day.

Take 4 Popsicle sticks and glue them together side by side.  You may want to do this step for the children because glue can be very messy and frustrating for preschoolers.  This will make the base of the coaster.  Be sure to allow the glue to dry completely.  A glue stick can be easier because it keeps the glue from spreading out onto the rest of the Popsicle stick and is much easier for small hands.

Once the glue has dried let the kids decorate.  Let them paint a basic color on the coaster.  It can be any color although the colors for Valentine’s Day are normally red, white and pink.  Let the paint dry completely before they continue on.  You may even want to do this part of the craft on a separate day or early in the morning and finish it up later in the afternoon. 

When the paint has dried they can put stickers on the coasters.  Cut outs from magazines can also be applied with a little glue.  Be sure they are of things Dad would like.  Sports, fishing, TV remotes and a good hamburger may come to mind. 

To protect and cover the coasters take them home and spray them with clear coat paint that evening and return them to the children the next day before they head home. 

Surprising Dad with a Valentine’s Day coaster made with their own precious hands is one way for them to show just how much he means to them. 

Paper Rose for Mom

Giving Mom a flower for Valentine’s Day is a special gift.  Giving Mom a homemade rose is the most special gift of all.  Here’s an easy way for your preschoolers to make a rose to take home to Mom on Valentine’s Day.

You will have to show your preschoolers step by step how to create the rose.  It’s easy if you get them to follow your directions as you do it.  You will need red, pink and green construction paper, brown floral wire, glue and white ribbon.

Start by laying a piece of red or pink construction paper flat on the table.  Taking the side closest to you roll the paper up, but don’t roll it too tight.  You want to be able to see through from one side to the other after the paper is rolled.

1/4 of the way down the paper, start twisting the stem.  Twist it around and around until you’re about half way down the stem.  Twist it as tight as you can to be sure it stays. 

Once you have the stem twisted, grab the bottom of it at the corner of the paper and carefully pull this up to create a leaf.  You don’t want the whole piece of paper pulled up just that one corner.  Once you have the leaf continue twisting the paper all the way to the end. 

Take the brown floral wire and twist around the stem of the rose.  Go all the way to the bottom to give the rose a perfect brown stem.  Be sure to tuck the end of the wire up so that there’s nothing sticking out that may poke anyone. 

Now take the green construction paper and cut two small pieces that will fit over the leaf.  Glue each piece to both sides of the leaf.  Cut around the paper to fit the leaf.  Your preschoolers may need help with this part.

Once you have your rose completed, add a piece of white ribbon to the stem to help set if off.  Now your preschoolers have a homemade a rose they can give their Mom for Valentine’s Day.  Won’t Mom be surprised when they bring these delightful little roses home?