6 DIY valentines that are almost as easy as store-bought

You’ll need: Coloured pencils (we found ours at the dollar store), coloured masking tape, a felt tip pen. How-to: Cut a piece of tape, wrap it around the pencil and back on to itself. Notch the end to form a flag shape. Get kids to write a cute phrase and sign their name. If you need to make these for a big class, print out your flags, cut into strips and attach with a glue stick.

You’ll need: A non-toxic washable ink pad, a marker (washable is fine), parcel tags, baker’s twine or string. How-to: Using your kid’s thumb, stamp two thumbprints to form a heart and draw a smiley face. Write out a cute saying and finish off with a bit of baker’s twine.

You’ll need: Empty cereal boxes (yay for recycling!), a marker, stickers and yarn. How-to: Cut cereal boxes into small rectangles. Write your awesome cereal pun on the back. These have a pop art feel, but kids may not get the reference so let them decorate with stickers and yarn. That’s it!

You’ll need: Ribbon hair ties (look for them at the dollar store), scissors, craft felt. How-to: Cut two-to three-inch hearts or stars out of craft felt. Fold in half horizontally and make two snips big enough for the hair tie. Untie the hair tie and thread it through the felt, re-knotting the end. Hooray for no hand-writing!

You’ll need: A pack of balloons, a chubby paint marker (we really like this one), a bulldog clip or clothes pin. How-to: Partially blow up a balloon and clip the end to create a larger writing surface. Using the paint marker, write a cute note then let the air out. The results look like a store-bought ballon, making this hack our new favourite party trick.

You’ll need: Box of bandages with paper wrappers and a pen. How-to: Write your message on the outside. So easy and what kid doesn’t love a bandage?

Read more:
Cardboard crafts: 11 awesome ideas
13 kid-friendly crafts using recyclables
5 awesome Valentine's Day hacks