How to make Valentine’s Day cards with kids

The best Valentine’s Day cards to give—and get—are the ones you make from scratch.

You Will Need:

* Construction paper
* Decorative-edge scissors
* Drawings or pictures
* A hole punch
* Ribbon or yarn
* Fabric scraps or aluminum foil
* Glue
* Decorations, like beads and stickers
* A slim marker
* Perfume
* Safety scissors (optional)
* An old set of playing cards (optional)
* Food coloring (optional)
* Stencil-alphabet kit (optional)
* A computer and printer (optional)

Step 1: Create the basic card
Create a basic card by folding a piece of construction paper in half, and then in half again. Don’t feel you have to stick with red and pink. Using non-traditional colors will make your card stand out.

Step 2: Cut a cool edge
Trim the edges of the card with decorative-edge scissors, which create an interesting edge as you cut. Designs include scallop, wave, ripple, and torn paper.

Step 3: Pick a cover image
Decide what you want on the cover. You can draw or paint something right on the card; create the design on a separate piece of paper; or use a personal photo, a picture from a magazine, or a king or queen of hearts from an old deck of cards.

Step 4: Punch it up
If you’re transferring an image onto the cover, punch holes around the edges and lace a piece of ribbon or yarn through them, tying the ends into a bow at the top.

Step 5: Prep the cover
Glue a background on the cover, like a doily, a square of velvet, a piece of fabric, or some aluminum foil. Or, use one of those materials to create a border.

Step 6: Glue on the picture
Glue on your cover image, and add whatever embellishments you’d like: beads, candy hearts, stickers. Leave room for a greeting if you’d like.

Step 7: Write messages
Using a slim marker, write your cover greeting and a message inside. For a more professional look, use a stencil-alphabet kit.

Step 8: Be nice!
If the cards are going to cl