Easy Handmade Candy-less Valentines with Minted

I don’t have children, but when Valentine’s Day comes around, I sort of what to rent someone’s kids for a few days…emphasis on the word rent. They will be coming right back to you as soon as a temper tantrum rears it’s ugly head. Trust me.

When I was a kid, I remember how excited I was to make little valentines for my classmates. Should have known back then that I’d grow up to have a paper obsession. Today, I think it’d be fun to make some child-friendly valentines for a classroom of kiddos…so if your kids are for rent this Valentine’s Day, send over your rates and I’ll take a look.

In the meantime though, I thought I’d share a few kid-friendly valentine ideas that I came up with while perusing the awesome Classroom Valentine’s Cards available at Minted.  It’s probably worth mentioning that Minted did not ask me to do this post, nor am I being compensated for this post in any way. I just really love their product and I think these cards are super snazzy & perfect for a little DIY lovin’.

According to the Minted site, if you order your classroom valentines today, February 6th and select 3-day shipping, you’ll receive them in time for the big day.

So without any more blabbing, here are a few ideas I came up with for using the classroom cards to create cute handmade Valentine’s Day favors…and did I mention…they’re totally candy free!

Milk & Cookies Valentine’s Day Card | TomKat Studios French Square Plastic Bottles

 The Minted Classroom Valentine’s measure 2.5″ x 3.5″ which is the perfect little size to turn these cards into tags. Just punch a hole in the top and you’re done! This milk & cookies card is just too cute for words and the accompanying favor is pretty obvious, right? I think these cards would be perfect tied with baker’s twine around a little bottle of milk, like the plastic ones sold in the TomKat Studios shop!

Auto Be Mine Valentine | Car Shaped Crayons via Ivy Lane Designs on Etsy

 Umm…”You Auto Be Mine”? Seriously? Cuteness to the millionth power, if you ask me. My first thought was to pair this classroom valentine with a toy car, but I feel like kids may not play with toy cars anymore. Do they? My hunch is that toy cars have been pushed out of the market by some super-duper-electronic-talking-moving-robot-computer-ipad-app-thing. So let’s just stick with crayons…those are always in style, right?

Be Mine Cowboy Classroom Valentine | Trail Mix Mason Jar via Provocraft

Chances are you will never catch me on a dude ranch, hanging out with cattle and swinging a lasso. Only way that’s happening is if the ranch is between me and a 90% off sale at J.Crew. Otherwise, I’ll stick to cowboy themed crafts, like this adorable duo. Lots cuter. Less poop.

Handwritten Love Note Classroom Valentine | Stamped Mini Composition Book via Damask Love

 When you love paper the way I love paper, cards like the Handwritten Love Note valentine jump off the screen! I love the crumpled look of the binder paper and the hand-drawn doodles. I think this valentine would go perfectly with the miniature composition books I created! What do you think?

Petals of Mine Classroom Valentine | Mini Honey Dipper via Woodworks 

Now unless you know some young children who have experience with honey dippers, I’m thinking this favor is best for adults….perfect for the teacher! You could even include a mini jar of honey to the gift!  Kids would probably just use the honey dipper as a weapon…and no one wants to spend Valentine’s Day in the ER.

You’re A Peach Classroom Valentine | Wrapped Peach Favor via Inspired By This

I love the idea of fresh fruit as a Valentine’s Day favor and the simplicity of this pairing means you won’t spend a ton of time putting these together! Just add the card tag to the wrapping and you’re all finished.

What a Hit Classroom Valentine | Homemade Cracker Jack Favors via The Smith Family Blog

Now, this one is a bit of a stretch since I can’t say for sure that Cracker Jacks are any more healthful than candy…but I’m going with it.  If it makes you feel better, you can package this one up with some toothpaste or something. I’m sure the kids would LOVE that!

So, tell me…are you making any handcrafted valentine’s with your kids or for yourself? I’d love to hear about em!