Whether you’re a teacher with a classroom of your own, a daytime home babysitter who likes to keep things fun and learning based, or the leader of a play group at the local community centre, decorating the space you share with the kids you lead each day is a super fun seasonal thing to do, for both them and you! We really like keeping different DIY decor tutorials on hand for different seasons so we have some ideas ready as the year goes on, but lately we’ve realized that we just don’t have enough tutorials for Valentine’s Day. That’s why we’ve been keeping our eyes peeled for cute things we hadn’t thought of that we can make in order to help our classroom feel a little more festive in February!
Just in case you’re feeling as interested in the idea of making your own Valentine’s Day classroom decor as we were, if not more. Here are 15 of the very best ideas, designs, and tutorials that we’ve come across so far in our search for inspiration.
Everyone loves a good pun or play on words, including kids! Kid also adore pizza more than just about anything else so, if you ask us, this cute little DIY “pizza my heart” wall hanger made from construction paper and a paper plate is just about the cutest thing going. See how nice and simply it’s done on Surviving A Teacher’s Salary.
If you’re going to decorate your classroom or the walls of your learning space, would you rather do so with something your kids can help you make, hanging it up until the day of Valentine’s Day and then letting them take it home to their parents? Then we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Dalai Mama made these adorable painted handprint art pieces, placing the hands to look like a heart and writing a sweet Valentine’s message from each child around theirs.
Whether you make them all yourself or get your kids in on the process and hang them all over the room’s windows afterwards, we think this heart shaped sun catcher idea from Louder Than Nostalgia might be one of the cutest things on our whole list! Their tutorial shows you how to make it happen with construction paper, glitter, tissue paper, and wax paper, walking you through the steps it takes to heat it up and make it clear.
Are you still feeling intrigued by the idea of making a craft with your students that you can hang up for the time leading up to Valentine’s Day and then send home with them but you’d rather not be in the sole charge of quite so many children with their hands entirely covered in paint like the previous idea required? Then maybe you’d have an equally fun but slightly less messy time helping them make these adorable heart cutout caterpillars outlined step by simple step on Crafty Morning.
If you’re going to put in all the time and effort it takes to make a Valentine’s Day decor piece, would you much rather make it something interactive that your students or kids can actually engage with when the big day finally arrives? Then we thin you’ll get a kick out of the way Balancing Home shows you how to use plastic cups and tissue paper on a backboard to make a heart shape with different kinds of prizes in each of the cups. Hang it up as decor and, on Valentine’s Day, make a game out of letting the kids pick which cup they’ll break the paper on (hence the name) in order to get a prize.
If you’re going to make cute decor pieces, even ones that embody a cute play on words like you saw before, would you prefer to make the project somehow into an opportunity for upcycling? Well, if you can get your hands on an old puzzle that’s not being used anymore or is missing pieces, then we think you’ll really love the way A Worthy Read made this adorable heart shaped hanger inspired by the phrase “a piece of my heart” and constructed entirely from painted puzzle pieces.
Are you still thinking about how much you love the idea of making funny, wordy crafts with your students that you can hang up around the room until Valentine’s Day is over but you know your kids are animal lovers above all else, so you’ve been trying to find something to make with them that fits both themes? Then we think you simply must take a look at the way Crafty Mornings made these adorable cut and paste paper owl and included the punny slogan “Hoo loves you” on each one.
This particular tutorial might teach you how to make a version of the craft that’s featured in regular size printer paper, but how cute would this adorable heart shaped fingerprint tree from Easy Peasy and Fun be as a collaborative group project for a classroom? Try making a larger version of the tree’s trunk and heart shaped leaf shadow on poster paper and then getting the whole class together to make the finger print leaves together.
Was the printed handprint craft actually precisely the kind of activity you love doing with your group of kids because you find they’re even more careful than usual when you let them get messy, since it’s such a treat and they want to be able to do it again? Then maybe you’d like to take that idea even further and give this awesome “love bug” themed painted footprint craft from Fun Home Things a try! hang each person’s on the wall with their names on the back and see if the kids can guess whose footprint belongs to whose foot.
Did we almost catch your attention when we started talking about the idea of making decorative crafts with your kids that are both Valentine’s Day themed and modelled after animals, but you’re just not sure that owls are what they’d want to make most? Well, almost all kids love puppy dogs, so maybe you’d have more luck with something like this tutorial featured on Crafty Morning! They guide you step by step through the process of making adorable puppy dogs built mostly from heart shaped pieces turned at all different angles.
Did we really catch your attention when we started talking about the concept of making “love bugs” but you think your kids would rather work with crafting supplies that are a little more textured and eye catching? Then we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Mom Luck used sparkly foam paper, tinsel crafting pom poms, and googly eyes to make these hilarious little standing love bugs that are easy to do and will look very fun indeed scattered all across the tables and surfaces of your classroom or learning space.
Just in case you’re still not quite over the idea of making funny word play cut and paste projects that you can hang up for all of the kids to enjoy, here’s another suggestion that follows the big theme, but a little more literally this time. Take a better look at the tutorial featured on Crafty Morning to see how these adorable little bumble bees featuring the message “bee mine” were made.
If you’re going to get the kids involved in making classroom decor, would you rather help them make something that’s a little more of a classic decor piece, like a garland? Then we think you just might get along a little better with something like this adorably curly paper hearts tutorial outlined step by simple step on Weddbook! Get the kids to make a plethora of curled paper strip hearts and then string them carefully together and take suggestions of where to hang them up.
Does your classroom still practice the fun tradition of handing Valentines out to the entire class on the morning of February 14th? Then maybe the best way to decorate is by having each kid make an awesome, attention grabbing place to have their friends put the Valentines they’ll be getting! We’d suggest taking a look at how 1st Grade Fantabulous outlines the process for making cute Valentines bags shaped like little heart people. Sit each one on the edge of each child’s desk!
Are you actually still scrolling through our list thinking about how much you liked the handprint idea but you’d rather use a different medium than just paint and paper? Then we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Messy Little Monster made these hanging clay handprints with cutouts for photos! Help the kids make them, have the kids bring in a photo of their pet or someone they love to put inside, and then hang the little hand shaped ornaments all over the room until Valentine’s Day when you can send them home to be displayed there instead.
Do you know someone who has been looking for great group craft ideas for Valentine’s Day for their classroom, play group, or day care kids? Share this post with them to give them all kinds of cute, crafty ideas to try!
