It’s been a long-standing tradition for children to gift some sort of small sweet treat to their classmates during their holiday party for Valentine’s Day, but who doesn’t like a little something different every now and again?

These three candy-free valentines’ are sure to be a useful surprise to each recipient. They are made using a pencil, a wooden ruler and a glow stick, along with a variety of basic squeeze punches. Add in some clever sentiments printed with your favorite word processing program, and you have a few new Valentine options that are easy enough for the children to help assemble with minimal parental assistance. Assembling them assembly-line style makes putting them together a breeze!

Let’s take a closer look at the projects so I can share a few word processing tricks that help bring these Valentines’ to life!

Cupid’s Arrow Pencil Valentines’

Use the Mixed Shapes Shape Template (or the Hearts Shapes Template) along with the Ultra ShapeXpress to cut out a large heart from patterned paper. Then, lay pencil across heart and make a light mark on both sides of the pencil approximately ½” from the edge of the heart. Use a detail knife to create two slits approximately 1” long and ¼” apart on the right side of the heart. You’re essentially drawing a line to connect the dots with your detail knife. Repeat on the left side. Insert pencil through the slits so that the largest area of the pencil is running behind the heart shape. Punch a square and cut on the diagonal. One half will become the arrow’s point and the other the fringe. Adhere with glue dots.

To create the sentiment for your valentine, opening your word processing program, and insert word art in the shape of an arc (in Word it is Style 3). Type your text: Valentine, you’re all write! Change the font to Garamond and size to 8. Then click OK to insert the word art. Next, you’ll need to resize the word art by right clicking on it and choosing Format Word Art. Click on the Size tab and change the height and width to be 1.2”. Copy and paste as many times as you need for the number of valentine’s you are creating. Print onto white cardstock.

To assemble the label, punch your text circle using your Large Round N Round Squeeze Punch and a layer on top of the scalloped circle. Finish with a smaller circle in light blue in the middle of the text and a button with baker’s twine threaded through the middle and tied in a bow. Adhere to the center of the heart and admire your first finished Valentine!
Glow Stick Valentines’

This project is so simple most kiddos can assemble all of them solo. You’ll just need a few Fiskars tools along with your computer for the sentiment. Begin by punching white scalloped circles with the Extra Large Seal of Approval Punch, then layer red circles on top using the Large Round N Round Squeeze Punch. Add pink hearts punched using the That’s Amore Large Punch.

Finish it off with stacked green buttons, baker’s twine bows and sentiments that read: “You make my heart glow.”
Ruler Valentines’

Again, another simple idea for a useful Valentine that has a clever sentiment!

Simply punch tags from patterned paper using the XXLarge Tag Lever Punch and Add decorative edge to bottom of tags using the In Stitches Border Punch.

Transfer sentiment directly to your punched pieces using the My Funny Valentine punch by first printing the sentiment onto regular printer paper. Then adhere the punched piece over the printed sentiment using temporary adhesive. Insert paper (with punched pieces adhered) back into the printer and print again. Now your sentiment is printed on the hearts! Remove and adhere to tag.

Hope this gives you some ideas on how you can help your children create thoughtful and encouraging candy-free Valentine’s for their classmates