5 Simple, Sustainable Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids
Looking for some simple and sustainable Valentine’s Day crafts for your kids to create? Discover five of my family’s favorite eco-friendly activities to make with supplies you probably already have at home!
Choosing to show someone you care can happen any day of the year, not just on Valentine’s Day. However, when February 14th rolls around each year, it’s a great day to spread extra kindness to all living things, keeping in mind to also be kind to the Earth.
When I say “be kind to the Earth” in terms of crafting, this is what I mean:
- Using and repurposing items we already have
- Incorporating nature whenever possible
- Creating something that is purposeful, whether the purpose is to add beauty to a space or to fill a specific need
I aim to avoid making crafts that may reuse or repurpose a recyclable material, only to have it find its way into the trash a day later, no longer able to be recycled because of an alteration I have made. The sustainable crafting we do in my home is intentional. Creating something that will last or serve a specific purpose is our ultimate goal.
I’ve compiled five of my family’s favorite sustainable Valentine’s Day craft activities in this post. I hope that you find one (or many) that will work for your young crafters!
1. No-Bake Wild Birdseed Ornaments as Valentine’s Day Favors
Why not spread the holiday love to some of the non-human species in your neighborhood? Making these no-bake wild birdseed ornaments requires three ingredients and a few supplies you probably already have in your kitchen.
When my son and daughter started to show interest in the different types of birds that visited our backyard, I decided to give them the recipe for no-bake wild birdseed ornaments. The recipe calls for minimal ingredients, does not require the use of the oven, and gives them the freedom to create their own unique birdseed ornaments with little help from me! We’ve given these out as alternatives to traditional paper valentine cards, with a note that read, “A little Valentine’s Day tweet for your backyard birds.” They were a hit!
2. Recycled Toilet Paper Roll Hearts
I give a crap. About my kids, that is. I also give a crap about the health of the planet and all that reside on it. Most days, these two areas of my heart exist harmoniously. However, occasionally they can stand at odds, as is the particular case of holiday decorations.
Allow me to explain.
If it were just my husband and I living in our house, I’d probably forego much of the themed decor that goes along with most holidays, making allowances for a Christmas tree and some carved pumpkins.
I mean, I’m not a total Scrooge.
However, it’s not just my husband and me anymore, as we have two little humans residing in our home. And these little humans absolutely love to decorate for any and all special occasions. So, I’ve learned to become somewhat creative with our holiday embellishments.
Take, for example, this heart for Valentine’s Day made of toilet paper rolls. With some red paint, scissors, white glue, and twine, I attempted to transform what normally would end up in our compost bucket into a festive adornment for our wall.
Materials:
- 6 toilet paper rolls
- Scissors
- Red paint and a paintbrush
- White glue
- Twine
Instructions:
- Paint the inside and outside of each toilet paper roll with red paint, or whatever color you want your heart to be.
- Let dry, then cut each roll equally into 5 pieces.
- Use your finger to press down on the top of each round piece of tp roll, making an indent, and then squeeze the piece together, forming a shape that resembles a heart.
- On a flat surface, arrange these pieces into a larger heart shape.
- Once you have your large heart arranged, glue the pieces together using 1-2 drops of white glue on the contact points of each smaller toilet paper piece.
- Allow to air dry 1-2 hours.
- When dry, use the scissors to poke 2 holes into the top of the large heart, one on either side.
- Thread a piece of twine through the holes and tie it to create a hanger for your heart.
Not only do these make for simple home decor, but they can also double as teacher gifts to bring some love into the classroom!
3. DIY Valentine Shirt
As a parent of young school-aged children, it’s easy to fall into the marketing trap of “needing” a themed outfit for every holiday or classroom party. Fear not! You can still let them be festive and support your sustainable living habits at the same time!
How? By simply grabbing a shirt they already own, some scrap fabric, scissors, and some safety pins or a needle and thread!
Here’s what I found around the house to create a Valentine’s Day shirt for my son:
Materials:
- A second hand sweater from his closet
- Small piece of fabric- I had some red felt left over in our craft bin
- Scissors
- Needle and thread or safety pins
Instructions:
- Lay the shirt on a flat surface.
- Determine the size heart you want, based on the size of the front panel of the shirt.
- Fold your fabric in half, and working from the folded side, cut a half of a heart.
- Open the fabric to reveal the heart and position it on the front of the shirt.
- Using a needle and thread, make a few large running stitches around the outside edge of the heart to fasten it to the shirt. Or simply safety pin the heart to the front of the shirt, keeping the pins on the exterior of the shirt to avoid accidentally poking the wearer!
The best part about this quick embellishment is that it can just as easily be undone, with little harm done to the original shirt! Get creative and cut different shapes for various holidays, like shamrocks, flowers, and even numbers to celebrate birthdays!
4. Upcycle Old Crayons into Valentine’s Day Party Favors
I don’t know about you, but our house accumulates many crayons. Pieces of waxy colors can be found in just about every nook of our home and car! Instead of trashing them, we love to mix and match them to create beautiful new coloring tools, in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Perfect for little hands, we’ve given these instead of sweets at holiday parties or birthday celebrations and they’re always a hit.
In our modern world that is dominated by the “more, cheaper, faster” mindset, I find it incredibly important to address the topic of consumption with my kids. Instilling thoughtful consumption habits has been a priority in our home. One major tenet of this thought process is to address the waste associated with consumption, not only from a packaging point of view but about the longevity of the item itself. For this activity, melting old crayons to create new, usable party favors for kids is a fantastic way to address consumption and waste!
Click here to read the simple, step-by-step instructions to upcycle broken and forgotten crayons into cute party favors, plus access free, printable Valentine’s Day cards and thank you cards to accompany your party favors!
5. Upcycle Greeting Cards into a Valentine’s Day Banner
Wondering what to do with all of the holiday greeting cards you’ve received? Upcycle those family photo cards into a simple and stylish Valentine’s Day banner!
I’m one of those people that hates to throw family photo cards away. I feel incredibly guilty about tossing beautiful pictures of my beloved family and friends in the trash can or recycling bin. For years I’ve dealt with my guilt by collecting the cards in a pile and storing them with my Christmas decorations, only to unpack them the following year and shamefully toss them in the trash.
Until this year.
While scrolling through social media, I came across a post from Everyday Reading founder Janssen Bradshaw about using your holiday greeting cards to make a banner for Valentine’s Day. It was as if a giant light bulb went on in my brain. Why hadn’t I thought of turning my old greeting cards into a banner to honor the family and friends that I loved?
I immediately ran to my kitchen to grab my scissors and string and went to work upcycling my greeting cards into an adorable heart-shaped banner. Click here to read the simple, step-by-step instructions to make your own upcycled Valentine’s Day banner and download a free heart template printable.
Celebrating a holiday doesn’t have to be synonymous with consuming new things. With these five simple, eco-friendly, and budget-friendly solutions, you can sustainably celebrate the holiday in style!
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