Valentine’s Day is coming up, so I’ve gathered our best Valentine crafts for tweens and teens in one place. From stamping and string art to folded paper hearts and paper roses, these projects are perfect for older kids in your home, classroom, or after-school program. They’re creative, engaging, and geared for ages 8 and up.
My oldest daycare kids are now tweens and teens, so many of the recent Valentine crafts on the blog are aimed at that age group. I thought it would be helpful to collect them here so you can easily find ideas that challenge skills and encourage creativity.
If you have older kids (ages 8 and up) looking for cool Valentine craft ideas, you’ll find them below. Each entry links to full instructions and photos on the original post.
If you need Valentine crafts for younger children, see the links near the end of this post for toddler- and preschool-friendly options.
Looking for homemade Valentine cards? We have a collection of kid-friendly card ideas in a separate post.
Sweet Valentine’s Craft Ideas for Ages 8 and Up
Paper Fortune Cookie Valentines – A fresh twist on traditional cards, these fortune cookie valentines are made from a paper circle and two simple folds. Tweens and teens can personalize the fortunes inside and decorate the cookies to suit their style.
Block Printing Valentine Cards – Styrofoam printmaking is addictive and affordable: carve a design once and make many prints. No fancy equipment required, and older kids enjoy the process of designing and printing series of cards.
Tissue Paper Roses – These roses look surprisingly realistic and are simple to make. Tweens or teens can craft a single stem or an entire bouquet to give as a heartfelt, long-lasting gift.
Cardboard Cookie Valentines – These faux cookies are decorated like the real thing and make playful, handmade valentines. Kids can customize each cookie and write messages on the back. They’re great for passing out to friends or arranging on a paper plate for presentation.
Painted Worry Stones – These heart-shaped worry stones are painted and decorated as small, comforting tokens. They’re thoughtful gifts for friends who may appreciate something they can carry and fidget with when anxious.
Glittered Clay Dough Hearts – Made from just two ingredients plus water, this air-dry clay creates heart ornaments that can be painted and sprinkled with glitter. Older kids can use markers to write sweet messages on the backs.
Cardboard String Art Heart Ornaments – All the fun of string art without nails or wood: these cardboard hearts let kids create geometric designs using pins or staples and colorful thread for impressive results.
Yarn-Wrapped Pipe Cleaner Hearts – A simple but fine-motor–challenging activity: pipe cleaners form the frames while yarn is wrapped to create textured, colorful hearts. Great for tweens and teens who enjoy detailed work.
Folded Paper Hearts Craft – Fan-fold or origami-style hearts are popular with young teens. Marbleizing or decorating the paper beforehand adds another creative step and makes each heart unique.
Paper Towel Rose Craft – Similar to tissue paper roses, these use a fun dyeing technique to create tie-dyed paper towels before shaping them into blooms. The dyeing adds experimentation and surprise to the craft.
Tissue Paper Valentine Hearts – Easy enough for younger children but adaptable for older kids: instead of simply crumpling tissue, tweens can twist and shape squares for different textures and layered effects.
You may also like:
- 10 Homemade Valentines Cards for Kids
- Mod Podge Journal Covers for Tweens and Teens
- Weaving Projects for Tweens and Teens
If you want Valentine crafts for younger kids, check the toddler and preschool craft roundups linked below.
6 Valentines Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers and 5 More Valentines Crafts for Toddlers & Preschoolers.
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