DIY Flower Valentines for the Class

Remember selecting the perfect Valentine for your BFF or crush, writing just the right message, dropping in the best Sweetheart Conversation Heart, and then slipping it into your friend's mailbox at school?

Now most schools want unaddressed Valentine's and no food--let alone candy! How would I have ever known that 6 year old Brendan like, LIKED me?

Now, if you want to add a little personality to your classroom Valentine's your best bet is a DIY craft Valentine. Let's make it simple, though, because we need 26 identical Valentines!

Last year my daughter was allowed to bring treats so we made these sweet Valentine's Photo Lollipop Cards. I told her we could do that this year with pencils but she opted instead for flowers. We chose a pun message because she is very into jokes.

Materials:

• printout of flower flower template* (on color or white paper, depending on which template you use)
• printout of leaves template on green paper (or to trace on green paper)
• heart-shaped stickers or punch-outs
• Valentine's Day pencils (I found 10 for a $1 at the Dollar Store and you can also pick them up even cheaper on a bulk craft site like Oriental Trading Company)
• tape or glue dots

 

Directions:

* Before we get started, a few notes about the flower templates. I am NOT a graphic designer. I am just an educator who likes to craft with my kids. If you come up with a better template, I would LOVE to see your results!

Here are some choices:

• Black and White "Blank" (If you choose the blank, you can fold the paper in half length-wise and then in thirds width-wise and cut out six flowers at once.)
  
• Black and White "Our friendship will bloom!" to print on color paper
  
• Black and White "Our friendship is growing!" to print on color paper
  
• Color "Our friendship is growing!" to print on white paper
  

 

1. Choose your template for the flower and print out on white or color paper. My daughter liked the color template because she liked the cheery hues and that it emphasized the heart-shape of the petals.

2. Cut out each flower.

 

3. Add a heart sticker to the center of each flower. This is my girl's favorite part!

 

4. Print out the leaf template on green paper or trace the template onto green construction paper. Fold the paper in half length-wise and then in thirds width-wise and cut out six leaf pairs at once. Click here for the leaf template.

5. Write "Love, [Your Name]" on each of the leaf sets.

 

 

6. Use glue dots or tape to adhere the flower and the leaves to each pencil.

 

 

 

Voila...easy Valentines with a personal touch for the whole class!