Make Your Own Valentines

Love is in the air, and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. I wanted to spread some love with these adorable printable Valentine’s that I designed myself for my kids (and yours too) to bring to school to give to all of their friends. I was inspired by these adorable little loot bag favors/toys that I found at Party City. I decided to forgo the boring cards that you can pick up at your local retail stores, and to make something a little more special this year. I had so much fun coming up with original designs to go along with the toys I that I found, and now I’m making my digital designs available to all of you so that you can win “Mom of the Year” with all of your kids friends.

Does anyone remember Barrel of Monkeys? Well, I nearly melted when I came across these little miniature Barrel of Monkey favors at Party City. It was very satisfying opening them up and finding incy wincy, teeny weeny little monkey’s inside. This is what spawned the idea of making my own Valentine’s. Ever since I was a little girl I have had an obsession with all things miniature. I think it all started with my Polly Pocket toy that I gifted one Christmas that I just couldn’t put down. My girls have also got a collection of their own Polly Pockets that they tote around with them everywhere they go. I mean no monkey business when I say that I think these little monkey’s are sure to impress all of your little loves.

Next up, I found these super fun miniature hand clappers in neon colors, an ode to the 80’s. They bring me back to my Fresh Prince, Lisa Frank era, long before the controversies that took place over the last couple of decades. Give a round of applause to these printable “High Five” Valentines that I had a “hand” in making. Let’s make some noise, put your hands together and draw attention to your little ones this Valentine’s day. They will definitely come in handy!

Speaking of handy, these mini foam fingers will do just the trick for the sports fanatic in your family and beyond. They are perfect for cheering on your favorite team and fit right in your pocket for an easy on-the-go solution to the over-sized foam hands that you typically see at most sporting events. I am a number 1 fan of these tiny hands that slip right over your peter pointer. Game on!

Going back in time, we simply can’t forget about the Clacker ball toys that would accompany any worthwhile loot bag in our early adolescence. Clackety Clack, don’t talk back! You know the ones… the noise makers that spin around with two balls that would bang into each other and would look like they were changing color. Definitely a fun throwback toy that should be embraced by the next generations. For that reason, I was so excited to come across these miniature Clacker’s to include in this year’s Valentine handouts.

Did anyone else grow up playing Connect 4? My brother and I used to play all the time when we were kids, and I was very skilled at always choosing the middle space in the bottom row. I decided early on that this was a good strategy that definitely gave me the competitive advantage. I found these tiny Connect 3 games, also at Party City, and could not resist. I love the idea of connecting with those we love around Valentine’s day, so I came up with the idea of creating cards that said “Let’s Connect”.

Up next, I found a party pack that included 3 different types of whistles. Also included in this pack were the Clackers and Hand Clappers, all for just $19.99. I believe there were 100 party favors in this pack, so this was really great value for those parents with 3 or more kids to make school Valentine’s for. The triangle shaped whistles reminded me of a dog’s tongue, so I thought it would be fun to design Valentines with cute, cuddly canines because dogonit, what kids doesn’t love a Valentine with a dog on it?

The second whistle was a horn shape, which reminded me of Pinocchio for some strange reason. So, I came up with a design with wooden puppets that have colorful horns for noses. I designed a girl puppet with two pigtail buns on either side of her head, and a boy with suspenders. They turned out really sweet, and I think the kids will be excited to blow their own horns.

Last but certainly not least, I found these little recorders in the Party Pack as well. I made cards to go along with them with little kids that were playing recorders with their cheeks puffed up. This reminds me of when I learned to play the recorder in middle school. I could only play “Hot Cross Buns” on repeat, but I felt very accomplished nonetheless.

Well, I hope I’ve inspired you to take a little extra time to make something special for your kids to hand out this Valentine’s Day. Your kids will be so glad you did, and you will set the stage for a very memorable Valentine’s filled with lots and lots of love. Please feel free to use my digital downloads to print your own Valentine cards, and remember that you can find retro toys similar to the ones I’ve shown here at your local Party City.

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