Makely

It’s that time of year again! In the coming weeks, your child’s teacher will probably be sending home a list of their classmates for Valentine’s Day card exchanges. And then you’ll sit at the kitchen table for hours watching your 4 year old wants to address them all herself.

Or, maybe that’s just at my house! ♥︎

So, to get a head start on what will soon be coming home in my kids’ backpacks, I’ve put together a darling free printable valentine to share with you. I made 50 of these for just $15. They require very little work, so they couldn’t be easier to put together. And most importantly, they are fun and unique!

Before we get started, I wanted to point out that I’m certainly not opposed to store bought valentines – not at all! I just like to make stuff, and I know most of you do, too.

DIY Funny Glasses Valentine

Things You’ll Need

Funny Glasses (mine were $2.99 for 12 at Party City)
Silver metallic Sharpie or other permanent marker
Clear tape
Access to a photo printing shop or service or a personal printer

1. Download the free printable that I created for this valentine. My son, Zack, came up with the saying, “I love seeing you at school!” to go with the funny glasses. I thought it was great! Click here to download.

If you need valentines for other things – church groups, girl scouts, dance class – just let me know. I’m happy to re-do the “at school” wording and post it so that it can be more personalized. I’m not able to personalize colors/fonts/graphics due to time constraints.

2. The valentine is sized for a 4×6 photo print. I created an account at CVS.com and uploaded it to their site. When you create an account and connect your ExtraCare card to it, you get 50 free 4×6 prints to use whenever you wish. I used them all for this project – I have 2 kids, so I needed a lot of valentines. I picked them up at the CVS down the street from our house about an hour after I ordered them, and I literally paid ZERO dollars (no tax or anything) to have these printed. Even with no free prints, it would have only cost me about $10.

They look so good!

There are several other places online where you can get free prints, so definitely explore that option if you already have a CVS.com account.

4. Have your child sign each card. We used a silver metallic Sharpie for ours, but any permanent marker will work. If you need to write the classmate’s name on the cards, you can do so over the red and white diamond pattern.

5. Slide one of your funny glasses over the upper right corner of the card and secure on the back with clear tape. I made sure to tape both temples so that the glasses wouldn’t come off.

6. Bask in your awesomeness. Your valentines cards are finished for another year!

Looking for other Valentine’s Day ideas? Here are some other free printable cards that I have created in the past:

You Blow Me Away (two versions)

Your Friendship is a Lifesaver

Over the past few years, my nearly 9 year old son has earned a new nickname: Magpie. Since he was small, Zack would pick up anything shiny he found on the ground. I would find all sorts of trinkets in the dryer after I did laundry each week.

Recently, I took him to the skating rink and my toe stop fell off of my skate while I was working on some roller derby foot work. I couldn’t find the lock washer that helped hold it in place once it flew off, so I thought I’d need to pick up another one at Home Depot. Lo and behold, I found it in the dryer a few days later. My Magpie had saved the day, although he had no idea that he had picked up something that I was looking for.

While Zack’s shiny object obsession occasionally benefits me, it really causes more problems with clutter than it actually helps. And as he got older, he began including scraps of paper in his collections, too. Anything on which he had colored or written – Post-It Notes, children’s menus from restaurants, bits of construction paper left over from other projects – was piled up on his dresser or shoved in his drawers. Whenever I suggested that he didn’t have to keep every single piece of paper that crossed his path, he got really upset. I don’t believe that Zack is an actual hoarder per the medical definition – I don’t want you to think that I do or that I’m belittling the disorder. I do, however, think his collecting habit is just turned up higher than most other kids his age and he has a deeper sentimental attachment to things than he should.

About a year ago, I just couldn’t live with his room like this any longer, so we made a compromise. I bought him a plastic storage tote and told him that he could keep whatever special things he wanted to keep in it, as long as he could close the lid. We went through every drawer, his closet, and under the bed, and he chose what things were important enough for him to put in the box. Everything else, he chose to throw away on his own.

He’s a cute little Magpie, though.

…

Free Printable DIY Funny Glasses Valentines

DIY Funny Glasses Valentine

How to Live with a 3rd Grade Hoarder