TOP 15 Valentine's Day Crafts to Make This Year

Holidays are the perfect time to create handmade gifts and decor, and Valentine's Day is one of my favourite times to get crafty. Pinterest has provides endless inspiration, but today I am sharing the top 15 Valentine's Day crafts to make this year. There is something for every age and skill level on this list!

How cute is this crafty Valentine's Day vignette? Below, you'll find links to tutorials for these crafts and more!

Here are links to 15 fantastic Valentine's Day crafts (in no particular order):

1) Sock gnome - Gnomes are super trendy now, and this Valentine's Day gnome is easy to make using dollar store supplies. (The beard is made from a dollar store mop!) I've even designed FREE gift tags you can use to share your creations with family and friends. Find everything you need here.

2) Pom pom gnome ornament - There has never been a cuter yarn craft. Kids and adults will love creating these adorable pom pom gnome ornaments. They can used as decor (or given as gifts). You can find the full step by step instructions (and short "how to" video) here.

3) Yarn wrapped hearts and pom pom flowers - Filling a vase with yarn wrapped hearts and pom pom flowers is a simple craft that anyone can do. To make the heart flowers: cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of a heart, wrap it with yarn (securing periodically with yarn), and hot glue a dowel to the finished heart. To make pom pom flowers, you can follow the step by step instructions (and video) here.

4) Love bugs - This is one of my most popular Valentine's crafts, and it isn't hard to see why. When my boys were younger, they loved making a bunch of these little critters. I've even made love bug kits for them to share with their friends on Valentine's Day. You can find the step by step instructions (and "how to" video) here.

5) Argyle sweater wreath - Nothing says "cozy and warm" like an argyle sweater, and this argyle sweater inspired wreath sure to heat up your Valentine's Day decor. It's simple to make using yarn and felt, and you can find all the instructions you need here.

6) Pom pom wreath - The best thing about this "classy" looking wreath is that it started as one of those "tacky" tinsel wreaths they sell at the dollar store. You can read all about the transformation, and learn how to make your own pom pom wreath for Valentine's Day here.

7) Felt flower wreath - Sometimes simplicity speaks volumes, and I love this uncluttered (and easy to make) felt flower wreath for Valentines Day. I love the different shades of red and pink mix with the rustic look of the twine wrapped wreath, don't you? You can find the instructions for making this wreath here.

8) Heart rosette wreath - I made this wreath in 2012, and it is still my favourite piece of Valentine's Day decor. The felt flowers are simple (and inexpensive) to make, and they look fantastic when they are glued together to create this gorgeous wreath. You can find the step by step instructions for making this wonderful craft here.

9) Tissue paper hat - Kids love making Valentine's crafts too, and they are great for helping children hone their fine motor skills. This craft is particularly fun and effective... and children will proudly wear their creation. You can find the step-by-step instructions for this Valentine's Day tissue paper hat craft for kids here.

10) "I love you pieces" artwork - This is another great craft for young kids working on their fine motor skills. It also makes a nice Valentine's Day card for children to give to their parents.  You can find the full instructions, and download the FREE template, for this craft here.

11) Valentine's Day Candle Holder - This is a simple craft for kids to make and share on Valentine's day, and it's a great way to recycle old jars. It great for gifting, and it works well with a battery operated candle inside. You can find the full instructions here.

12) Valentine Mailboxes - Don't we all remember making Valentine mailboxes when we were little kids? And wasn't it fun opening them up and reading all the cards inside? You can find three simple mailboxes for kids to make here.

13) Heart people - I made this simple craft when I was a little girl, and I made it with my boys when they were young. The accordian arms really give this Valentine's Day craft its personality. You are going to want to make these heart people with your little ones this year! Find the full instructions here.

14) Kiss countdown - My kids have always loved having Advent calendars for Christmas, so I thought it would be fun to countdown to Valentine's Day too. How cute is this "kiss' countdown? Find the full instructions here.

15) Valentine's Day prize punch - I came up with the idea for a "prize punch" many years ago, and they have become a staple at all our parties and celebrations. Of course, making one for Valentine's Day was a "no brainer". Find out how simple it is make one for your family here.

Aren't these all fantastic ideas for creating wonderful Valentine's Day crafts?

Do you have a favourite Valentine's Day craft? Did it make my list? I'm really loving the yarn inspired crafts this year, but they are all super-fun. Which one will you be making first?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

Valentine's Day Sock Gnomes (made from dollar store supplies)

I love simple crafts, and the Valentine's Day sock gnomes that I'm sharing today are easy to make and super-cute. All you need are a few dollar store supplies and a glue gun. You are going to love this one!

First, gather your supplies. You'll need: a mop, white socks, Valentine's Day socks, rice, elastics, and something for a nose (pom poms, painted styrofoam balls, or wood balls).

Then: cut the sock, fill the sock with rice, and secure the top with an elastic. (If you are concerned about the elastic breaking over time, you can reinforce with a piece of thread.)

Use pieces from a dollar store mop to make a beard. Cut strips to the desired lengths, use hot glue to attach the strips to the front of the rice-filled sock, place a Valentine's Day sock over the beard (and glue in place), and separate the strands of the mop. 

Note: For the sock hat, I suggest putting some stuffing in the sock to give it some shape. I also cut the toe off my sock and used red thread to close the end.  Alternatively, you could hot glue a pom pom to the end, or you could put a styrofoam ball in the toe, and secure it with an elastic to make a "faux" pom pom.

Finish by using hot glue to attach a pom pom nose.

At this point, you can consider your gnome finished, or you can add some arms or other embellishments.

To make arms: Use the piece of the sock that you cut off. Cut it to the desired length and width (to fit your gnome), and roll each arm and secure with glue. 

Then, make mittens by cutting twp pieces of red felt, wrapping them around the ends of the arms, and securing the mitts in place with a piece of embroidery floss. Use hot glue to attach the arms (under the hat).

You might find this video helpful too!

I left my gnome plain, but you can embellishment yours with felt hearts, heart-shaped jewels, and/or any accessories you want.

I am using my gnomes as part of my Valentine's Day decor, but I think they'd be perfect to give to friends and family as Valentine's Day gifts. You could add a cute gift tag to make it extra special. I designed a few options that you can print for free.

To print the six gift tags I designed: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

Don't you just love homemade Valentine's Day decorations? There is something really lovely about all the shades of white, pink and red.

Do you think you'll make your own Valentine's Day sock gnome? I gave you a basic template, but feel free to express your creativity. You can use different coloured socks, add your own embellishments, and play with the size and scale of the gnomes. Have fun!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

Dollar Store Craft: Simple (and cheap!) Pom Pom Valentine's Day Wreath

Have you seen those tacky tinsel Valentine's Day wreaths at your local dollar store? If you unwrap the tinsel, you'll uncover the perfect inexpensive base for a gorgeous high-end pom pom wreath. Cool, right?!? Keep reading because you are going to love this dollar store craft. This pom pom Valentine's Day wreath is easy to make and absolutely gorgeous!

This is what I started out with. These tinsel wreaths were ONLY $1.25 each at Dollarama.

If you cut the wrap with a sharp pair of scissors, you can unwrap it. It's a little tricky to get started, but once the first part is loose, it's easy to unwrap. 

You will be left with a heart-shaped wire wreath form.

Then, pick up some chunky yarn in any Valentine's Day colours. I chose a light pink, dark pink, and grey... but you can use whatever colour combination you like.

The number of pom poms you need to make will depend on the size of your wire wreath form and the weight of your yarn. I made 12 pom poms for my wreath.

You can find a video tutorial for making pom poms here, but basically:

1) Wrap yarn around your hand (or a piece of cardboard) about 60 times. 

2) Tie a piece of yarn around the centre of the wrapped yarn.

3) Cut the loops.... leaving the long piece used to tie the pom pom together (as this will be used to attach the pom pom to the wreath form).

4) Trim the pom pom.

Tie each pom pom to the wire wreath form (per below).

Keep tying pom poms to the wire until the entire wreath is covered.

Then, when you are happy with the positions of all the pom poms, secure them in place with hot glue.

After the glue has dried, you are ready to display your wreath. You can set it on a shelf.

Or you can add a piece of yarn for hanging. I hung mine on the chalkboard in my kitchen, and I love it!

You might also want to check out this quick (2 minute) video tutorial.

 

What do you think? I love that the frame was only $1.25. I will definitely be making more of these DIY Valentine's Day wreaths to display this year. I'm thinking I will try one in different shades of pink... or maybe all red. What colour combination will you try?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

If you are looking for more Valentine's Day inspiration, check out more than 30 Valentine's Day ideas here.

And for MORE fun things to make with Pom Pom, click here.