Hey, can I let you in on a secret? It’s a biggie, so here goes – for the very first time, my nine-year old son is head over heels in love! My heart gets all a-flutter when I see him wave goodbye to his sweetheart at the school gates. They’re in the same class, hold hands on outings, and exchange letters and presents on the weekend. Boy, this is getting serious!

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and Miles is planning on sending a gift to his new lady. Both of them like art, so I’ve suggested making something for the special day. Despite his enthusiasm and desire to impress, he’ll be keeping things fairly simple. After all, less is always more. We’ve had a good think, looked around for some craft inspiration and have finally narrowed it down to a handful of easy, hopefully effective DIYs. Perhaps, your kids could have a go at making one of them too?

I’ll let you know how it goes, and you do the same!

DIY Valentine’s Shells
via Creative in Chicago

As we live near the sea and really enjoy the beach during the winter, we have plenty of shells laying around the house. There’s just something poetic about naturally found objects, and I love this idea of transforming a simple collection of white shells into a Valentine’s gift using just a Sharpie and doodles and doodles of love!

DIY Valentine’s Stones
via Alisa Burke

Similarly, if you’d rather craft with materials you already have on hand, how about a bit of pebble art? I’m pretty sure my little artist would have a field day decorating stones from our garden or the beach. These gifts can be as simple or as ornate as you like. Use paints, markers or a collage of both to show how much you care.

DIY Stitched Valentine’s Treat Bag
via You Are My Fave

Believe it or not, Miles loves sewing! When I saw these beautifully stitched Valentine’s treat bags, I knew they’d be perfect for him. We’d keep design deliberately simple and could perhaps slip in a few hand-decorated shells or pebbles instead of candy for a fun, unexpected change!

DIY Valentine’s Pencils
via Kaley Ann

Speaking of non-candy gifts, these pencils would be perfect for my son’s sweetheart. They’re always giving each other drawings, so I’m sure she’d be super pleased to have her own Valentine’s Day set decorated with lovely labels. Why not add some hearts to the Mason jars for extra creative flair?

DIY Painted Hearts Valentine
via Melanie Blodgett on Julep

One of the easiest, and perhaps nicest presents to make for a special girl or boyfriend is a painting. No matter how old you are, when you’re in love you always put your heart and soul into making something to express your true feelings. I’ll leave it up to my son Miles to create his own work of art, but I adore the simplicity and color palette of this DIY heart painting.

Vive l’amour !

Pictured at top: Pompom Flower Bouquet, available at Stephlovesben on Etsy