12 Heartfelt No-Candy Valentines

Cut 15”-long pieces of heavy string or leather cord. Fold each length in half and loop it through itself onto a carabiner or a key ring. Thread 3 to 5 beads onto the double string, and tie a knot at the bottom; trim ends. Cut or punch heart shapes from cardstock and glue together. Use a hole punch to make a hole in the heart edge, then thread the card onto the ring.

Tip: For fast production, type and print out multiples of “Let’s bead friends!” onto copy paper, cut them out, and use a glue stick to attach them. 

Trace and cut out two different-size circles from contrasting cardstock using round objects like a CD and a food can for your circle templates. Cut a paper heart shape that’s slightly smaller than the smaller circle. Use a glue stick to attach the heart and circles as shown, and add the “You make my heart spin!” message. A parent will need to cut a slit ¾” long in the center with an X-Acto knife. Push in a penny and spin!

Print template onto colored paper. Trim the bookmarks so they’re about 13/4”x71/2”. Cut scrapbook paper into 2”x8” strips. Use a glue stick to attach the scrapbook paper backing to each bookmark. Use a hole punch to punch the o’s in the message.

Tip: Sharpen a hole punch by punching holes in tinfoil.

Cut an 8½”x11” sheet of cardstock or paper into two pieces measuring 81/2”x51/2”. Fold each in half to make two cards. Cut a 3” heart shape from paper; then cut a slightly smaller heart from a double-sided adhesive sheet (Recollections Mounting Adhesive Sheets, $6.50). Attach the paper heart to the card with a glue stick. Peel the paper backing off one side of the adhesive-sheet heart and stick it onto the paper heart. Peel the other backing off and stick on a variety of googly eyes. Type or write a message on a separate piece of paper, and use a glue stick to attach it to the card.

Print the template onto 81⁄2-by-11-inch sticker paper (at office-supply stores), and have your child trim it out using pinking shears. Stick it onto the yo-yo, and you're good to go! 

Print greeting onto card stock; cut out. Trim a piece of sushi grass (we found ours on Amazon) to the width of the card. Insert the greeting, grass, and zoo animal into a cellophane bag; tape it closed.  

Print the template onto 81⁄2-by-11-inch sticker paper; cut out. Wrap a box of cards once with washi tape, then stick the greeting onto the box.  

Help your child splatter card stock with watercolors; let dry. (Practice on a test template first.) Print greetings onto the painted card stock and cut out. Punch holes in each, then attach the tags to the paint sets with string. 

Insert scrap cardboard into a small muslin bag (we found ours at Paper Mart). Help your child stamp a heart onto the bag; let dry. Print the greeting; cut out and insert into the bag, along with a jacks set.  

Place crayons on top of a notepad and wrap with a rubber band. Print the template onto plain paper; cut out. Wrap it around the bundle and tape in place in the back. 

Print greeting onto cloud-patterned paper (we found ours at officesupply.com); cut out. Adhere paper to card stock with a glue stick. Attach parachuter with a glue dot. 

Print the greetings onto card stock; cut out. Use double-stick tape to attach the glasses onto the card stock, or punch holes for each of the temple pieces, thread them through, and fold closed.