If your children want to make someone feel loved on 14 February, help them create these Valentine’s gifts. They’re sweet and thoughtful presents that are given from the heart.
It’s always exciting to receive Valentine’s gifts, especially when you’re young. It may be from a friend, or a girl or boy who just wants to say hello. But, more importantly, your child may want to make her friends and/or family members feel special on that day by giving them Valentine’s gifts. Help them make something sweet, so they can share a bit of love and happiness.
Sweet butterflies
You’ll need
- Pink, white or red cardboard
- Coloured pens, glitter glue or stickers to decorate
- A lollipop
How to
- Fold a piece of cardboard in half, and draw a butterfly wing on one side. Cut along the line and unfold to see your butterfly.
- In the centre, cut two small lines about a centimetre apart. Decorate the butterfly wings with the glitter glue, stickers or pens.
- Your child can also write a Valentines note on the wings. Then push the stick of the lollipop through the cuts, to make the head and body of the butterfly.
Love bugs
You’ll need
- Red, white or pink wool
- Red cardboard
- Pipe cleaners
- Googly eyes
How to
- Using the wool, make a pompom. You can use all of the colours or just one or two. To make a pompom, get two cardboard circles (roughly the same size that you want the pompom), cut down to the centre and cut a circle in the middle. Place a piece of wool between the two disks and then wrap your wool around the cardboard, passing it through the centre each time.
- Slide sharp scissors between the two disks and cut the wool around the edge.
- Find the piece of wool that you placed between the disks, pull the ends together tightly and tie off.
- Remove the cardboard, fluff your pompom out and trim the edges.
- Stick it onto a heart shaped piece of cardboard and add eyes and pipe cleaner feelers.
Puzzle frames
You’ll need
- Puzzle pieces (look for large pieces from a puzzle with missing pieces)
- Red and white poster paint
- Craft glue
- Twine or ribbon
How to
- Paint the puzzle pieces in different shades of pink (mix the red and white together with some of the glue, and add more red or white for different shades).
- Stick the pieces together to make a square or rectangle shape, with a space in the centre for a photo. If the pieces fit together, you can simply build the frame and stick it together with glue. Or stick pieces on top or next to one another randomly.
- Leave to dry, then add a loop of ribbon or twine, for hanging the frame.
- Add the words: We fit together.
A mug full of love
You’ll need
- A plain mug
- Permanent marker for ceramics
- Hot chocolate and mini marshmallows
How to
- Draw hearts or write a message on the mug.
- Fill a small clear bag with hot chocolate and another with mini marshmallows, and place these in the mug.
Forever flowers
You’ll need
- Pink and white tissue paper
- A small pot or mini bucket
- Pipe cleaners
- Peppermints, chocolates or other small sweets
How to
Cut flower shapes out of the tissue paper. You can add a few together to create multi-layered flowers.
Push a pipe cleaner through the centre to make a stem, and twist the top a bit at the centre of the flower.
Fill your pot with white and pink sweets, or candies with messages on them, and “plant” your flowers.
Tamlyn Vincent
We’ve got loads more ideas for thoughtful presents for children of every age, special and unique gifts of joy and unusual, meaningful gifts.
