26 Homemade Valentine Cards That Make It Easy to Spread the Love

Surprise-Inside Cards

These adorable candy-filled cards start out as corrugated paper and a set of paper straws ($3, Target) and quickly become adorable cupid hearts with a sweet treat inside. We used a cookie cutter as a stencil for this heart-shape craft, and added store-bought candy for an easy and budget-friendly DIY Valentine's Day gift idea.

Cute Candy Holders

Make an adorable easy Valentine card with a few simple supplies. Pair patterned paper with a coordinating solid and use our easy template to get the folds just right! Pop in a lollipop and write a sweet greeting on the inside flap before giving them to your galentines. To add a homemade twist, make small Valentine's Day desserts to add to the cards instead of store-bought candy.

You've Got Mail

Our free printable from Darcy Miller makes it so easy to re-create these gorgeous cards yourself. Grab a package of foil-covered chocolate hearts or chocolate lips and use double-sided tape to attach them to your cut-out cards. Add a red envelope and your sweet sentiments will be ready to pop in the mail!

Grease Pencil Valentine

Homemade Valentine's Day cards are a cinch with this simple wax-resist technique. Write or draw on blank white watercolor cards using a white grease pencil or crayon ($2, Staples); the wax-drawn areas will resist watercolor. Coat a paintbrush with a thin layer of watercolor paint, and lightly brush over the design. Brush the whole card in stripes of color, or paint specific shapes over wax designs. Let dry completely.

Soda Think You're Cute Card

Short on time? Look to our punny printable to create this year's Valentine's Day cards. Send them as is or tape them to a paper straw and pair them with a bottle of their favorite soda pop. See more of our favorite free printable Valentines to find one that's perfect for a classroom gift exchange.

Cookie Cutter Cards

Think outside the box with this year's DIY Valentine's Day card ideas! Turn paper, paint, and heart-shape cookie cutters into easy valentines; this method is perfect for making several cards at once. Start with blank cards in various colors, and paint a large rectangle on the front with acrylic paint. Dip a heart-shape cookie cutter in contrasting colors of paint and use it as a stamp to add designs to each card.

Color My World Valentines

Little love bugs will love this card and crayon pairing. Just print off the tags, add a little color, and staple to a filled 4x6-inch cellophane bag ($5, Etsy). See more of our favorite free printable Valentines to get even more inspiration.

Decked-Out Valentines

Let your kids' imaginations run wild while decorating their valentines with a full spread of creative embellishments. Set up a station on your kitchen table with buttons, ribbons, stickers, washi tape, and more! The kids will love getting free reign to decorate their valentines as desired.

Love Notes Cards

Send a simple heartfelt message with one of these sweet and so-easy handmade Valentine's Day cards.

Make the I Heart You Valentine's Day card:

Print the template onto plain paper, then cut out along the solid lines. Trace the cutout onto 12x12-inch cardstock, cut out, then fold as indicated by the dotted lines.

Make the Heart Accordion Valentine's Day card:

Print the template onto plain paper and cut out. On a piece of cardstock, draw and cut out a 5 1/2x12-inch rectangle. Fold accordion-style along the short side (as indicated by the dotted lines). You should have six sections. Place the template on the folded paper with the open side of the heart over the top fold. Trace heart and cut out. On contrasting paper, trace a heart that's slightly larger all around. Glue to the back of the center heart on your accordion.

Punched-Heart Cards

A tiny stamped phrase and cute-as-can-be punched paper hearts make quick work of this year's homemade cards that double as a fun Valentine's Day craft. Make a matching envelope with a simple stitched heart and some decorative trim.

Fox Heart Card

We love the idea of making this adorable heart-shape fox as a school valentine for kids! Use different-size paper hearts to form the face, and let the kids pick different patterns for the ears and tail. Older kids can add beads for eyes and nose; younger kids will love giving each fox a hand-drawn face!

Hanging Hearts

Use string, cutout hearts, and mini clothespins to re-create the look of this adorable paper craft card. Start with two blank greeting cards of the same size; we love the red and pink combo used here! Trim the edges of the inner card so that approximately 1/4 inch of the outer card is visible on each side; use glue or tape to attach the ends of the string to the backside of the inner card. Attach the inner card to the inside of the outer card using glue or double-stick tape. Finish with mini clothespins and a bunch of patterned paper hearts.

Scratch-Off Hearts Card

This homemade scratch-off card gets creative with scratch-off date ideas for Valentine's Day. Get the card template, and type in your date-night choices. Find out how to make your own scratch-off material in a few simple steps, too.

Tweet-Hearts Valentine's Day Card

Show your very own "tweet-heart" just how much you love them this Valentine's Day. To create a round card, fold a piece of cardstock in half and partially cut a circle. Emboss a large heart to add texture, then layer two cute birds on top. For the banner, simply stamp letters onto a scrap of white cardstock. The grass is trimmed patterned paper.

Pretty Paper Poppies

Bright and cheery flowers last way past February 14. Download our free pattern and easy instructions to make these easy DIY Valentines. You'll need crepe paper, sheets of tissue, florists wire, and florists tape to create each blooming beauty.

Valentine's Day Lollipops

Give your loved ones a sweet card and a sweet treat with these easy lollipop valentines. Simply fold a piece of cardstock in half, insert a lollipop, and embellish with store-bought stickers or printed messages. See the rest of our Valentine's Day cards with candy to get even more ideas!

Bicycle Valentine Card

A stamped bike and cleverly worded message make this easy card perfect for the cyclist in your life! We love the idea of using materials you already have on hand. Add any stamps and stickers, plus a creative phrase, to turn an adorable card into a Valentine's Day greeting for your sweetie. Finish the card with a bow made of string.

Valentine's Day Glasses

Your kids will love wearing these Valentine's Day glasses, and you'll love snapping a pic of your little one wearing them! Simply trace two connecting same-size hearts on a sheet of red or pink construction paper. Tape the paper to a red pencil and decorate with ribbon, baker's twine, and stickers.

Fold-Out Photo Card

Make a personalized sentimental Valentine's Day paper craft in minutes! Cut a 3-inch strip from a piece of 12x12 paper and fold accordion-style to form a small booklet. Cut squares of black-and-white photos to fit on each flap; secure with glue. This is the perfect valentine for Mom!

Paper Tassel Card

Embellish this year's Valentine's Day card with a DIY paper tassel. To make, cut long strips of tissue paper, folding each in the middle and tying off with a ribbon. Hole punch one of the top corners of the card and loop the ribbon through. Simple and cute!

Aquatic Valentine's Day Card

This aquatic-theme Valentine's Day card is a perfect holiday sentiment for your loved one. Cut out our whale pattern from two different colors of cardstock, using a crafts knife to partially cut the flipper. Wood-grain patterned paper provides a pretty ocean feel, or you can draw white circles onto teal paper with a white marking pen. At the top of your card, add a piece of white paper cut to resemble waves. Embellish the card with punched hearts, fish, and a typed or printed message.

Cute Owl Valentine's Day Card

Sweet plays on words make creative sentiments for Valentine's Day cards. Here, an owl crafted from punched shapes (we used an oval punch, an oval scallop punch, and a corner rounder) delivers a simple message. Center a plain piece of cardstock with rounded corners on a patterned-paper card and attach. Add your paper owl and a message.

Simple Signs

This card is cute, clever, and simple: perfect for creating multiple valentines! Kids will love tracing their own hands and cutting out the shapes on different colors of paper. Glue the palm of the paper hand to the card, then glue down the thumb, pinkie, and pointer finger. Fold over the remaining fingers and secure with glue to form the American Sign Language "I love you" gesture on your card.

Robot Candy Bar Card

Who wouldn't love a sweet robot-inspired valentine to celebrate the holiday? To make, use patterned paper to wrap a fun-size candy bar. Finish your robot by adding a head, arms, and legs cut from cardstock. Use buttons, punches, and googly eyes to make the robot yours.

Valentine Notes

This year, consider giving out a small decorated Valentine's Day gift instead of a traditional card. We love the idea of decorating the front cover of a mini notebook and adding a sweet handwritten note to the first page.

Sack Lunch Surprise

Use these Valentines as a sweet surprise and clip one onto your child's lunch bag the day-of. Use pinking shears to cut a scalloped border around red cardstock. Layer on a contrasting piece of paper and attach foil-wrapped chocolates with double-sided tape. You can also give these as chocolate bookmarks.