Five best ideas for homemade class/classmate gifts for Valentine’s Day that you and your kid(s) will enjoy making together!

Kokori Imufuao
7 min readJan 19, 2024

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Here are five fantastic ideas, for gifts for your class or classmates on Valentine’s Day that you and your kids will have a blast making together!

1. DIY bookmarks/Paint chip bookmarks; Get some paint chips from your hardware store. Transform them into colorful and unique bookmarks. Cut the paint chips into rectangles of bookmark size and make a hole at the top. Add a ribbon or tassel as a finishing touch. You can even write a message on each bookmark.

Diamond bookmarks; Create diamond-shaped bookmarks using beads and leather tassels. Personalize them by choosing beads in your classmate’s favorite colors. For a touch add a charm or special message to each bookmark.

Heart bookmarks; Craft heart-shaped bookmarks using construction paper or cardstock. Cut out heart shapes decorate them with stickers or drawings and attach a ribbon or tassel, to the top. Make it more personal by writing each classmate’s name on their bookmark.

2. Valentine’s Day cards; Pop-up cards; Make pop-up cards using construction paper or cardstock. Cut out heart shapes fold them in half and glue them onto the front of your card.

These creative gift ideas will surely bring joy to your classmates on Valentine’s Day! First start by cutting out heart shapes and then fold them in half. Next use glue to attach the folded edges of the hearts to the folded edges of the hearts. This will create a pop-up effect. To add depth to your card you can decorate it with stickers or different sizes of folded hearts that are glued together giving it a 3D look. As for options, you can also make collage cards using magazine clippings or stickers. Simply cut out heart shapes from these materials. Stick them onto the front of your card. You can further personalize it by adding drawings or other embellishments. Another idea is to create photo cards using pictures of yourself or your classmates. Print out the photos. Carefully glue them onto the front of your card. To make it more special include a message or enhance the rest of the card with stickers or drawings. Lastly, if you want to go out and make a 3D card use paper or foam hearts in various sizes. Cut out hearts. Fold them in half before gluing them together for a remarkable three-dimensional effect.

You can add stickers, drawings, or other decorations to the remaining part of the card. Another option is to create collage cards using magazine clippings, stickers, or various materials. Cut out heart shapes, from these materials. Stick them onto the front of your card. You can also enhance the card with drawings or other decorative elements.

3. Another creative idea is to make heart-shaped crayons, which make for a personalized gift that both kids and adults will adore! Additionally, it’s a way to recycle crayons and reduce waste. Here’s how you can make them;

Materials needed;
Around 60 75 Crayola crayons
A knife (please exercise caution)
A silicone mold

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Instructions;
1. Preheat your oven to 250°F.
2. Remove the paper wrappers from the crayons. Break them into pieces.
3. Sort the crayons by color. Place them in the silicone mold.
4. Bake the crayons in the oven for 15 20 minutes until they are completely melted.
5. Take out the mold from the oven. Allow it to cool down entirely.
6. Once cooled, remove the crayons from the mold. Package them in a bag along, with a personalized note.

Enjoy creating these crafts! You can also enhance the experience of melted crayons by adding drops of lemon oil, citrus oil, or lavender oil before they cool down. This will give the crayons an aroma that adds to their appeal.

4. Making origami hearts is an enjoyable way to create gifts for your classmates. Here’s a simple guide, on how to make them;

Materials;
Square sheets of paper (origami paper or any other type)
Scissors (
Glue (optional)

Instructions;
1. Begin with a sheet of paper. If you’re using printer paper fold it diagonally. Trim off the excess to obtain a square.
2. Fold the paper in half along one line creating a crease and then unfold it.
3. Fold the paper in half along the line forming another crease and then unfold it.
4. Fold the paper in half horizontally to create another crease. Then unfold it.
5. Fold the paper in half vertically to make a crease. Then unfold it.
6. Again fold the paper diagonally so that the top edge aligns, with the edge. Press down firmly on the creases. Then unfold it.

These steps will guide you through creating origami hearts for your classmates as gifts.

Start by folding the paper in half diagonally in the direction ensuring that the left side aligns, with the side. Make a crease before unfolding it.

Now you should have a piece of paper with two creases and a horizontal and vertical crease.

Fold the paper again this time from top to bottom. Create another crease before unfolding it.

Next fold the paper diagonally in the other direction so that the left edge meets the right edge. Make sure to create a defined crease before unfolding it.

At this point you should have a piece of paper with four creases.

Take the edge of the paper. Fold it down towards the middle horizontal crease. Make a crease. Then unfold it.

Repeat this process with the edge of the paper by folding it up towards the horizontal crease. Again create a crease. Then unfold it.

Now you should have a piece of paper, with two creases and one central vertical crease.

Fold over the edge of the paper to meet at the vertical centerline. Ensure that you make a fold before unfolding it.

Similarly fold over the edge of tFirst make sure to crease the paper and then unfold it. This will give you a piece of paper, with two creases and a crease in the middle.

Next hold the paper by its corners. Gently pull the bottom edges apart. You’ll notice that the paper collapses into a diamond shape.

Now fold the right edges of the diamond towards the crease. Make sure to crease it before unfolding it. At this point you should have a diamond shape with two creases and a crease down the middle.

Again hold the paper by its corners. Gently pull apart the bottom edges. The paper should collapse into a diamond shape.

Fold more by bringing in the right edges towards the middle crease. As before make sure to create defined creases before unfolding it. Now you should have a diamond shape with four creases.

Finally hold onto each corner of your paper heart. Gently pull apart its bottom edges. You’ll see that it collapses into a heart shape.

To add your touch feel free to decorate your heart-shaped creation with stickers, drawings, or any other embellishments you like. You can even write messages on each heart to make them more personalized.

5. Another idea, for Valentine’s Day, is to bake heart-shaped cookies which are both classic and easy to make. The best part is that you can customize them in ways according to your preferences.
Here’s a simple recipe to help you get started;

Ingredients;
2 and a half cups of all-purpose flour
Half a teaspoon of baking powder
A quarter teaspoonof salt
1 cup of butter, at room temperature
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions;
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl whisk together the flour baking powder and salt.
3. In a bowl beat the butter and sugar together until it becomes light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture beating until they are well combined.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture mixing until everything is just combined.
6. Roll out the dough on a surface dusted with flour until it is a quarter inch thick.
7. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out your cookies.
8. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
9. Bake, for 10 to 12 minutes. Until the edges turn lightly golden.
10. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once your cookies are baked and cooled you can add frosting, sprinkles, or other toppings to make them more festive.

Enjoy! To add a touch consider writing the name of each classmate on their cookie.

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