It’s that time again, where the kids hand me the class list and a note that they need a decorated bag for their Valentine’s Day cards. The first year I got that list I immediately decided that going “non-candy Valentine” was the direction I wanted to go. The less candy going out, the better in my mind! Not that I’m against candy, I just know that the kids are usually going to get more of it anyways, and as a mom I appreciate those valentines with one less piece of candy.
Going “no-sugar” doesn’t mean that you have to spend a ton of money or have anything super extravagant. I actually find most of my supplies at Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, or Amazon.
When choosing a non-candy valentine idea I like to gravitate towards my children’s interests. My daughter is at the age that she’s into jewelry and make-up. Since one of the items on her Christmas list was bath bombs, I thought how perfect of an idea for gifts for her entire class and teachers! As for my son, he loves cars, trucks, and more cars and trucks! So obviously we were going to go the cars or trucks route.
“Bombs Away” Valentine
-
-
- Bath Bombs
- Gift Bags
- Ribbon
- Hole Punch
-
I found bath bombs in bulk on Amazon and got a set of 50 for around $40. However, they did have other options on quantity and pricing. I probably could have done a bit more digging to find the exact amount of bath bombs I needed to save a little bit of money, but this way she had extra for teachers and few for herself. For the cards, I am fortunate enough to have a brother who is great at throwing artwork together (he is credited for bringing a lot of my visions to life). I then have them printed off at ShortPrinter on Main. I found some cute pink ribbon and bags at Hobby Lobby. Toss in the bath bomb, punch a hole, lace in your card and tie it off with the ribbon. One kid down!
“Roll With It” Valentine
-
-
- Bulk Cars
- Elastic Tie String (the kind used for jewelry)
- Hole Punch
-
Since my son is into anything with wheels, after a little research I found the perfect valentine for him to give! In fact, my sister loved this idea so much that her son did the same ones. Again, I found bulk race cars on Amazon and got 
36 for $13. My brother, again with his handy computer artwork skills, made us a card and I added two punched holes. For the cars, I found stretchy cord used for making bracelets in one of my daughter’s jewelry art kits and it worked perfectly for getting the cars to stay on tight. Money-saving tip: I actually found that same string at the Dollar Tree!
On both my kids’ valentines I found it easy for them to just sign their names rather than put each classmate’s name on them. Then for transporting them, I add them to the kids’ finished Valentine’s Day bags they bring to school.
Make a Fun Bag, Too!
Supplies:
-
-
- Reusable Tote Bag
- Sticky Back Felt
- Spiral Tissue Paper
- Fabric Flowers
- Heart Felt Stickers
-
Creating the bags was super fun! Again, I let the kids get involved with their favorite things to complete their bags. My girl chose a unicorn and my son a dump truck. Our schools have us make bags rather than boxes. I love this because bags are easier to carry around and a better place to store their cards and treats.
The bags are a reusable bag I ordered on Amazon and the felt pieces I found at Hobby Lobby. I loved that they had the option of the sticky back! I did freehand the truck, but you could find stencils if you are not as confident. The hearts and letters are also from Hobby Lobby.
The Unicorn was a little bit more challenging to find the items for and I had to get creative. Her eyelashes and ears were from leftover sticky felt from the dump truck. We picked out fabric flowers and hot glued them on her for her flower crown and rolled a piece of glitter felt for her horn. Her mane is actually tissue paper found at Hallmark; they had a few options in colors if you wanted to customize yours. We hot glued this to the bottom on the bag to make it stay put. (Not pictured: we put her name on the side with the felt letters.)
Making these with my kids was so much fun and putting their personality behind them just added the sparkle behind it. Whether you decide to go sugarless or add some candy, just have a good time making them with your kiddos!
Looking for more non-candy valentine ideas? Check out our post DIY crayon heart valentines!
