With Valentines day coming up we though it might be fun to share some homemade valentines ideas.

Lollipop Flowers

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MaterialsThere is something irresistibly simple and lovely about this card, and your sweetheart is sure to be a sucker for the candy treat it hides.

• Red and green construction paper or card stock
• Scissors

• Lollipop
• Glue stick

Instructions

1. From red construction paper, cut out a heart that's just larger than the lollipop candy and glue it to the wrapper.

2. For the leaves, fold the green paper in half and cut out a leaf shape, leaving the two sides attached at the seam.

3. Unfold the double leaf shape, coat the entire inside surface with glue, and fold it back over the lollipop stem, pressing to secure.

Tips:

If you use cardboard templates, one child can trace and cut hearts while another works on the leaves.

Variations:

Make cardboard templates of the hearts and leaves.

Wheel Fun

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MaterialsRace through your card making like Solomon Hauser, a 5-year-old automobile enthusiast from Perry, New York, who made these tracks with paint-dipped toy cars. The "coupe" de grace on his card? A sweet chocolate car, available at party and candy stores and through online retailers such as CandyWarehouse (candywarehouse.com).

• Newspaper
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Red card stock (each 8 1/2- by 11-inch sheet makes 4 cards)
• Black acrylic paint
• Paper plate

• Toy truck with textured wheels
• Scissors
• Marker
• Foil-covered chocolate cars
• Double-sided tape

Instructions

1. Cover your work area with newspaper. Use the pencil and the ruler to divide the card stock into 4 equal sections.

2. Pour some black paint onto the paper plate. Drive the toy truck through the paint a few times to coat the wheels well.

3. Roll the truck over the card stock to make tracks, taking care to leave some room in each section for a message.

4. Let the paint dry, then cut the card stock into 4 pieces and use the marker to write a note on each one.

5. Attach the chocolate cars with the double-sided tape.
   
   
   Suggested messages:
   I never "tire" of your friendship
   To a wheely good friend
   Valentine, you make my heart race!