Sweet and Easy Valentine's Day Crafts

Sealed With A Kiss This year, skip the store-bought cards. Instead, purchase plain card stock, patterned paper, pretty buttons, and ribbon to create the most personal of Valentine's wishes.

Bloom Bounty Whimsically painted planters make a gift of roses and African violets even sweeter. All you need is a terra-cotta pot, some acrylic paint, and a little imagination.

Wrap Artist Your child can transform plain tissue paper into a work of art straight from the heart. Set out cups of paint and sheets of tissue paper in a solid color, and decorate with two fingerprints or thumbprints joined together to form a heart.

Stuck On You These simple memo magnets are the perfect craft for your little cupid. To make, paint small wooden hearts, let dry, and glue a magnet on the back. It's a charming way to display cards and photos.

Tea for Two Lacy coasters create a pretty perch for tea (real or pretend) or your favorite love potion. Simply cut out craft foam shapes, and glue doilies in between them.

Heart Warming Our heart trivet is a cinch to assemble. Twist three lengths of red jersey into one long braid, shape into a heart, then sew through the underside with a needle and thread. Braid enough white jersey to create a layer of white, and sew again. Create another red braid; continue wrapping it around the heart shape until the trivet has reached the desired size, then sew again.

Candy Clips Pump up a ponytail with this adorable candy-coated accessory. Glue a ribbon onto a smooth rectangular barrette, and decorate it with little message hearts or Red Hots candies.

Sweets for the Sweet Dress up mini chocolate bars with a creative wrapper for the cutest candy ever. Measure out a section of paper by using the candy wrapper as a guide. Cut it out and cover with love messages, stamps, stickers, or little drawings, then secure around the bar with tape. A quick and easy Valentine's gift.

Scent-sational Sachet Here's the ideal gift for Dad. A little fabric envelope holds cedar chips (we love the heart shapes) to keep clothes fresh all winter long. To make, cut felt or fleece into a rectangle and fold to form a pocket, leaving enough fabric at the top to create a decorative flap. A basic embroidery or sewing stitch seals the edges in a flash. (For younger children, try using fabric glue instead.) For pockets with pizzazz, adorn with buttons, ribbons, appliques, or fabric paints.

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