An easy Valentine’s craft that toddlers and preschoolers can make using odds and ends from around the house.
These Valentine’s collage pops are charming and simple. They’re delightfully random — a hodgepodge of small materials gathered from around the home. Think of them as little Valentines on a stick: perfect as decorations or sweet keepsakes children can hand out on Valentine’s Day.
The kids really enjoyed making their collage pops. An open-ended project like this lets them explore creativity, make choices, and create something they’re proud of.
What you’ll need to make your Valentine’s Collage Pops:
Start by cutting heart shapes from cardboard. Gather small craft materials such as beads, buttons, foam pieces, puzzle pieces, and painted pasta. Use whatever you have on hand — scraps, leftover embellishments, and small recycled items all work well.
How we made them:
Begin by spreading a generous layer of white glue over each cardboard heart. Be liberal with the glue so the collage pieces will stick well. Arrange the hearts on a safe surface and let the glue set for about an hour. The pieces already look lovely once they’re stuck down.
When the glue is dry, set out craft paints — we used pink, purple, red, burgundy and white acrylics — and let the children paint over the collage pieces. Depending on the colors chosen and how they blend them, you’ll get interesting marbling and texture. Let each child choose their palette and decide when the piece is finished; some will keep it simple, while others will cover every inch. Giving kids control over their materials builds confidence and pride in their work.
While the hearts dried, we painted chopsticks to use as sticks — extras from takeout orders work great. Once the hearts were fully dry, we attached a painted chopstick to the back with duct tape. Then each child chose a ribbon from our fabric-scrap bin; I tied a small bow and secured it to the chopstick. You can attach the bow by threading a twist-tie through the back, using a glue gun, or sliding the chopstick through the back of the bow for a neat finish. They turned out so sweet.
For one version I wrapped the ribbon tails down the chopstick and secured them with a dab of hot glue for a polished look. Add any final touches you like — extra beads, glitter, or a name — and your collage pops are ready to display or share. Happy Valentine’s Day!
You may also like:
6 Easy Valentine’s Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Valentine Cards for Kids to Make
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