10 Easy To Make DIY Valentine’s Day Decorations and Gift Ideas

DIY VALENTINE'S DAY

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. There is something about the bright cheery colors of red & pink, and all the fun things to make around this theme that makes my heart happy. In this post, I’m going to share with you 10 simple DIY Valentine’s projects I have made over the years that I think you may enjoy making.

I think another reason I am fond of this holiday, is that it’s one of the few times my mother would write me a little personal note and leave it with a little box of chocolates or a Valentine’s treat on my pillow.

As silly as it may seem, I still do that for my kiddos even though they are adults and no longer at home. If they live close enough, I like to leave their treat on the porch, ring the bell and hide. It’s just a fun, quirky tradition that I do. Of course, they come to find my husband and me hiding in the bushes or behind the car.

I’d love to hear what fun Valentine’s traditions you have. Leave a comment below.

1- DIY Valentine’s Day Pillowcase

There is nothing better than a cozy new pillowcase. In this tutorial, I show you how to make a basic pillowcase and how to make one with a cute contrasting fabric cuff. (Using the burrito method).

The post includes all the directions, a measurement guide, and of course, a video tutorial to go with it.

diy valentine's dayIf you haven’t seen my new DIY LOVE LABEL PDF, where you can make your own EDITABLE LABELS, check them out.

These labels look really cute on a pillowcase!

GET THE FILE HERE

 

2- Beaded Coasters

This is a fun little DIY Valentine’s day project that you can use up some of your UPCYCLED SWEATER SCRAPS. You can also make them using regular felt. I show you how to add a beaded trim around the edges that really add a lot of charm to the coasters.

LEARN HOW HERE

diy valentine's paint chip bookmarks

3- DIY Valentine’s Day Paint Chip Bookmark

I have always loved the paint chip sample displays at the hardware stores. All the different shades of color printed on paper draws me in and makes me curious about what I could do with those strips of paper.

In this tutorial, I show you how you can take these little gems of colorful paper and make a fun Valentine’s bookmark. This is a very simple and quick craft that is kid-friendly and something unique that you can give as a valentine.

GET THE INSTRUCTIONS HERE

DIY VALENTINE'S DAY

4- DIY Fabric Gift Bags

If you’re new to sewing, this is a great beginner sewing project. These fabric bags can be made in any size. They make really cute DIY Valentine’s gift bags. Throw in some Valentine’s treats or a gift and cinch it up.

GET THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

DIY VALENTINE'S FELT HEART LOLLIPOP

5- Sweater Heart Hand Warmers

These little heart rice bags really do work quite well. Just pop them in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and place them in your coat pockets. They are a great thing to send your kids off to school with or take in the car on the way to work.

So……go to your felted sweater, fleece, or flannel stash and pick out some cute, bright colors and get to work. They are easy to mail and are a cute gift to add to your Valentine’s day card.

GET THE INSTRUCTIONS AND FREE PATTERN HERE

6- DIY Valentine’s Day Heart Branches

Looking for a quick and easy Valentine’s craft and decoration? These heart branches are the most charming holiday decoration and are a great way to add a bright, happy pop of color to your home in the dead of winter. They are super easy to make and there aren’t a lot of supplies and materials needed.

GET THE WRITTEN & VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS HERE

7- Paper Heart Garlands: Made From Recycled Magazines

These paper heart garlands are easy to make and only require a few supplies. Best of all, this is a project where you can recycle. (I love re-purposing items). You can create such unique items when recycling, and these paper hearts are just that, one of a kind!

GET THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

8- Heart Lollipops: Made with Upcycled Sweaters & Felt

I am always looking for new things to make using my favorite felted wool sweater scraps, and these heart lollipops are the cutest!

It’s a quick little DIY Valentine’s project that you can whip up in no time at all. Trust me, you won’t be able to make just one.

GET THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

DIY VALENTINE'S PIPE CLEANER HEARTS

9- DIY Valentine’s Day Pipe Cleaner Toppers

This is such an adorable idea that I’m going to try it this year. This is a fun craft project using PIPE CLEANERS.

Pipe cleaners are another one of my favorite craft items that I love to use. (I have a whole box of them in different colors and I use them for a lot of different projects).

Check out this tutorial on “THE SWEETEST OCCASION”

10- How To Make Charming Heart Gift Tags and Heart Garland With Upcycled Sweater Scraps

I hope you’ve been saving your felted wool sweater scraps. If not, NO WORRIES, these charming heart gift tags can be made using colored felt as well.

DIY VALENTINE'S heart gift tagsI show you how to easily cut out a small heart freehand, a few ways you can apply it to a card, and show you how to sew several hearts together to make a HEART GARLAND.

GET ALL THE DETAILS HERE

Oh boy, I could go on and on and show you more things to make, but I’m going to stop with these 10 projects. Of course, you can always do a search on my blog for more ideas.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful and inspire you to take some “ME TIME” and make something fun.

Have fun crafting!

jan3

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Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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DIY Valentine Heart Branches / Love Grows on Trees / Easy Craft Tutorial

DIY VALENTINE'S heart branches
heart branches

Looking for a quick and easy Valentine craft? These heart branches are the most charming holiday decoration and are a great way to add a bright, happy pop of color to your home in the dead of winter. They are super easy to make and there isn’t a lot of supplies and materials needed.

Heart Branches Materials & Supplies

HEART BRANCHES CARD STOCK

Heart Branches Instructions

Each 3D paper heart requires two cut-out hearts. You can make the hearts all one color or use two different colors.

The hearts can be cut to any size. If you have a heart paper punch, they come in handy but are not necessary. You can always cut the hearts out with a regular pair of scissors.  If you have a silhouette or cricket, you could cut up a whole page of hearts in no time at all.

heart branches heart punch

I just used my heart paper punch. I really like this heart punch set. It comes in a set of three different sizes, and they actually get used quite a bit.

gathering heart branches

1- Gather some long, thin branches.

You can cut them from your yard, your neighbor’s yard or I’m sure you can find some fake branches at the craft store. I just love the look of branches, trees, and plants in my house.  (I will admit, it’s the middle of January, and I still have my Christmas tree in my front room-minus the decorations), and I LOVE IT! Some of you may have seen some of my past Christmas trees and how I love decorating a little outside the box.

2- Cut the branches to the desired length.

Prune any unwanted twigs.

3- Cut out cardstock hearts (two per heart).

I used the 2″ heart punch and the middle size punch.

Stack two hearts on top of each other and clip in place.

4-Sew the hearts.

Using a sewing machine start sewing at the BOTTOM TIP of the heart and sew a straight line to the NOTCH OF THE HEART. *****VERY IMPORTANT…DO NOT CUT THE THREAD.

heart branches thread

5- Turn the handwheel of your sewing machine so the needle is in the most upright position.

LIFT UP THE PRESSOR FOOT, (this will allow you to pull the thread easily from the bobbin and machine). Gently pull the heart away from the machine to extend the thread about 12 inches.

Cut thread and then cut the threads on the bottom tip of the heart.

To make the heart 3D, separate the hearts and open and fingerpress in place.

heart branches tying

6-Now it’s time to apply the hearts to the branches. 

Wrap the end of the thread around a branch (I find the little buds are great to tie to) and knot the thread. Clip thread and continue tieing hearts to the branches until you have a sweet centerpiece.

That’s it, pretty simple, right?

Heart Branches Video Tutorial

When it’s springtime, check out my tutorial for making tissue paper blossoms.

Here are some other fun Valentine ideas.

Heart hand warmers

Carrot hearts

Heart garland

Happy Valentine’s day crafting and remember to keep it SIMPLE!

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Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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Carrot Love – How To Make Carrot Hearts

My favorite holiday is just around the corner, VALENTINE’S DAY and one of my favorite colors is ORANGE. So what do you get when you put them together………..CARROT HEARTS! Making carrot hearts is really a lot easier than you think. I will show you how simple it is.

Throw these bright colored gems in:

  • salads

Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup 

  • soups
  • or just eat as snacks
  • Surprise the kids by throwing a handful of carrot hearts in their lunch box

WARNING…..This is not an activity for the little ones! (Give them a piece of pink paper and child scissors and let them make paper hearts).

In the next few posts I am going to show you some other fun ways to embellish your food with love (HEARTS).

How to make carrot hearts

You will need a few good size carrots, chopping knife, paring knife, and vegetable peeler.

It pays to use a GOOD peeler. Notice in the picture above how there is a difference in the size of the slit. The bigger the peeler slit, the deeper the gouge will be. You want the peeler to make a significant peel. If not, it takes a lot longer.

When I first started making these, I used a knife. It worked but I realized it wasn’t the safest route to take. This is a good vegetable peeler .

 

cut the end of the carrot off

Using the vegetable peeler, peel one side of the carrot off

peel the other side of the carrot off at an angle as shown above. It should form a V shape

Using the paring knife, cut a notch out at the top to form the indent of the heart

Then carefully cut a groove down the top center of carrot.

Take your time!

3-Using the paring knife, cut a notch out at the top to form the indentation of the heart

Then carefully cut a groove down the top center of the carrot.

Take your time!

Now take the peeler and soften the top and side edges to form a soft curve.

Take the chopper knife and cut into 1/4 inch pieces.

Ta dah!

Enjoy these crunchy, healthy and beautiful gems.

Stay tuned for more heart loven food ideas!

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Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More