We love doing crafts with our kids, especially when certain holidays roll around, but we definitely don't love the mess — and when glitter gets involved, that mess quickly gets out of control. But despite how much we might hate cleaning paint off of our kitchen tables, most parents are brave enough not to be deterred, especially now that Valentine's Day is right around the corner.
Fortunately, there are plenty of DIY ideas out there to help us get crafty with our little ones while keeping the mess to a minimum. We can let them get creative (and TBH, keep themselves busy for a little while) without spending the next hour Googling how to get glue off the couch. It's a win all around!
Read on for 20 cute Valentine's Day crafts that are simple, mess-free, and will actually end up making adorable keepsakes and gifts for friends and family — and best of all, many of them only require supplies that most of us probably have around the house already anyway.
And remember, though these crafts may reduce the chances that a mess will occur, when kids are involved, that chance is never zero.
A Valentine Wand
This craft is simply magical — and may appeal to the little fairies, wizards, and other lovers of wands in our lives. Craft a cute wand with standard supplies like construction paper, markers, and ribbon, and the result is something the kids can actually play with.
Watercolor Hearts
When it comes to painting, it doesn't get much cleaner than watercolors, and for kiddos who love having that brush in their hands, this craft can be a lot of fun and make for a sweet gift or card for a friend or family member.
Floating Away
This one will require a little technology help for little kids, but the result is totally worth it. Make it look like the kids are flying away as they hold onto heart-shaped balloons with this DIY (and it only requires a little bit of photo editing knowhow).
Valentine Heart Sticks
With a printable template, wooden sticks, and some tape, it doesn't get much simple (or less messy) than this. It makes for a quick, cute craft that kids will love, especially the younger ones — just make sure they don't end up in a Valentine stick battle as they attempt to spread the love.
Sun Catchers of Love
All that's required to create these cute sun catchers is a muffin tin, melting perler beads, and a little creativity — along with an adult to do the oven stuff, because the beads can definitely be hot when they come out of the oven. So cute, and no glitter to be seen.
Fork Art
Yes, this one is going to require a little paint — but just the tiniest bit, since we're not painting with brushes. Instead, this craft requires plastic forks dipped in paint to create the flowers, and the rest can be done with construction paper and markers.
Tissue Paper Sun Catchers
Not feeling the perler beads, but still want to make sun catchers for Valentine's Day? Tissue paper can have the same effect, and it works for younger kids, too — especially if they get to decorate with a couple of stickers.
Paper Heart Wreaths
This is a wreath that can be used as a decoration at home, and it's simple to put together for those of us who happen to have clothespins, ribbon, and plenty of construction paper lying around. Younger kids can even get in on this if an adult or older sibling helps with the cutting.
Pipe Cleaner Flowers
Making flowers out of pipe cleaners is a classic — it's something that most of us have done ourselves as kids, so why not pass the tradition on and make an entire Valentine's Day-themed bouquet?
Pom-Pom Heart Keychains
Perfect for older kids (or even younger ones who are advanced crafters or tend to be more patient when creating things), these pom-pom heart keychains are one of those crafts that also happen to make an awesome Valentine's Day gift at the same time.
Marble Art
Marble art is the easiest, least messy way to paint — and this craft can probably be done with supplies that are already in the house. A cardboard box, paint, cardstock, and a marble will make mess-free magic happen, and the art can be cut into hearts later on.
A Heart Tree
Looking for a craft to do with the littlest members of the fam? This craft just requires the ability to place stickers on a printout — doesn't get much easier than that! It keeps it simple and the potential for mess is practically nonexistent.
Toilet Paper Roll Friends
It's always a good idea when we can incorporate a recycling lesson in with our crafts, and that's exactly what we can accomplish with this craft using toilet paper rolls to create bunnies, koalas, butterflies, and bees. There are kits online to buy, or DIY the entire thing for a personal touch.
Paper Towel Roses
These watercolor-style roses are so pretty that we never would have guessed that two of the main supplies used to create them are paper towels and washable markers! Coloring with markers and using water to create a tie-dye effect makes for a pretty bouquet.
A Puzzle Wreath
The fact that this Valentine's wreath is created by coloring the backs of puzzle pieces, there's a good chance that this craft will keep our kids busy for a while. The message in the center is a great pun, but it can also be swapped out for something more personal. This is a way to reuse a puzzle that has missing pieces.
Heart Necklaces
Felt is great to have around for all kinds of crafts, including these heart necklaces. Best of all, this kind of craft can be customized to be as complicated or as simple as we want, making it perfect for all our kids to do together.
Popsicle Stick Frames
This craft is super simple, but it turns out extra cute. Create the frame, decorate, add a ribbon and a picture, and this adorable gift is good to go. Glue the popsicle sticks together ahead of time to make things even easier!
Pencil Toppers
Though these exact pencil toppers were made with the help of a Cricut, a fancy machine definitely isn't necessary for the end result to be cute if there are scissors at home! And anything that makes doing schoolwork more fun is good with us.
Paper Towel Roll Stamping
Looking for another way to recycle used paper towel rolls? This might be the perfect craft. Apparently, they can be squeezed into a heart shape, which makes an excellent stamp to create some cute, low-fuss art.
Button Art
Creating these adorable canvas decorations just takes a little glue and some red and pink buttons — so much fun! The end product makes a perfect gift for the grandparents, or even a cute decoration to bring out around Valentine's Day each year.
