44 Easy DIY Valentine Cards Cute Enough to Win Their Heart
These homemade notes and card designs will have your kids' classmates, friends, teachers and more smiling on February 14.
It's time to start gearing up for some Valentine’s Day crafts, especially if you want to have them double as thoughtful DIY gifts. Luckily, there's no shortage of easy projects to choose from — think air-dry clay hearts, crochet heart pouches and date night arrows. And since you're likely to top off any gift you settle on with a touching note, browse these simple DIY valentine cards that are beautiful enough for a table, mantel or shelf display.
Check out the unique handmade card designs for kids and adults below — these easy projects range from pop-up valentine cards and funny watercolor messages to heart printables and hand-print notes. They're all cute enough to gift classmates, teachers, family, friends, you name it. Your little ones will enjoy diving into the craft box and grabbing their DIY essentials — paper, glue, buttons, googly eyes and more! — to make love bug cards, flower cards or hilarious Valentine's Day punny letters. Even better, some of our card ideas include candy and homemade treats and a few give you an excuse to use your handy Cricut cutting machine.
Whatever you decide to recreate from our list, you're sure to have fun every crafty step of the way! Just don't forget to DIY a Valentine's Day box that will help everyone stash away their cards in style.
String Heart Valentine Cards
Hello Wonderful blogger Agnes decided to entertain her kids during Valentine's Day with this fine motor skills craft that's as colorful as it is fun. Grab some yarn, cardstock and a threading needle to teach them sewing basics. Use different colors to represent each family member.
Tootsie Roll Pop Valentine Cards
Transform classic Tootsie Roll pops into cherries in an instant. Follow the blogger's tutorial to wrap green crepe paper on the lollipop sticks and attach leaf-shaped notes to complete your creation.
Cat Ear Valentine's Day Printable
With blogger Vanessa's "Meowentine" printable, you can easily attach a loving message to any gift, including adorable pink headbands for kids. The idea is easy, affordable and cute.
Love Bug Valentine Card
There's more to this love bug craft than meets the eye. Lift up the wings to reveal hidden messages only for your special someone to see. Once you've made your love bug's body, decorate it with googly eyes, pipe cleaners and heart stickers.
Donut Valentine Card
This Valentine's Day, gift the joy of a hilarious and romantic donut pun to go with any mouth-watering donuts you decide to gift. This design requires a Cricut and patterned cardstock.
You Make My Heart Pop Valentine Card
Have you ever loved someone so much that they make your heart pop? Well, that's exactly what this craft is meant to portray, all while satisfying your giftee's popcorn obsession. Simply download the blogger's printable template and wrap it around a bag of popcorn. Personalize the back with your own sweet message.
Heart Figures Valentine Card
Let kids create their own heart family using googly eyes and paper hearts. It's a great way for them to tap into their imagination while learning how to draw, glue and cut shapes. Remind them to write a message on the front or back.
Necklace Valentine Cards
Create necklaces for your besties to wear, similar to these painted wood bead pieces, before attaching them to a festive Valentine's Day printable (or funny card of choice). If necklaces aren't your niche, try DIYing friendship bracelets, pins or bangles.
Lollipop Butterfly Valentine Card
Easily make a butterfly card by cutting out the insect's shape from construction paper. Cut a slit into the center to have space for the lollipop to slide through. Afterward, decorate your new card with glitter, jewels, stickers and more!
Heart Glasses Valentine Card
This card and everything that comes with it are handmade. Gather your supplies: white cardstock, a color printer, A6 envelopes and scissors (or your Cricut) to make a spectacular card and the shades tucked inside.
Button Heart Photo Card
Your partner will feel all the love with a personalized photo card, beautifully embellished with red buttons. Cut out a heart shape from your note card's front to make your own. Affix your favorite couple's photo inside before gluing the buttons on your heart's outline.
Pin Valentine Cards
Celebrate the gals with these printable pin cards, perfect for Galentine's Day. All you need is white cardstock, these Galentine’s Day printable pin cards, scissors and enamel pins.
Hugs and Kisses Valentine Card
These handmade cards require you to pucker your lips and get to kissing... your paper! The cards and hands are made from cardstock and everything is connected using tape and ribbon.
Lollipop Flower Valentine Card
Here's another card idea that requires lollipops!— and it's easy to create in three simple steps. Cut out flower shapes from construction paper or cardstock and leave a small hole in each center. Cut out two green leaves with enough space to write your message, then thread the lollipop into the center of the flowers to hold as your stem.
Lip Balm Valentine Card
Take a cue from See Vanessa Craft and put a smile on your kid's face with ice cream lip balm cards. Snag lip balms from your local retail store's party favor section and apply them right on top of this cute printable card design.
Candy Cards
Since they're so sweet, use a cutting machine, like Cricut, to cut out a heart-shaped window for their favorite candy to shine through.
Doily Design
Perfect for kids, simply cut heart shapes out of pink paper doilies and cardboard. Dress up the designs with glitter, stickers and adhesive jewels.
Jokes Valentine Cards
For Valentine's Day, Merriment Design decided to go for a bit of humor. Invite your kids to print their favorite jokes on bright construction paper then cut them into heart shapes for a fun Valentine's Day card.
Recycled Magazines Card
Before you get rid of another magazine stack, consider turning it into a fun DIY Valentine's Day card. Use a few pages to make a collage for the front of the card, then finish the look with a white arrow.
Pop-Up XO Card
Tell your sweetie exactly how you feel with this pop-up card that's filled to the brim with Xs and Os.
Monique Valeris is the senior home editor for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."
Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy, Women's Health and Avocado Magazine. She received her master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She's also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.
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