Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to get creative and celebrate love—not just with your spouse but also with your little one. Whether your baby is a newborn or a bit older, there are plenty of adorable, simple, and meaningful Valentine’s Day crafts and keepsakes you can make together. These crafts will make beautiful mementos to cherish and provide fun opportunities for bonding, sensory development, and creating the sweetest of memories.

Here are a few sweet Valentine’s Day craft ideas to make with your baby that will both entertain and preserve those precious moments!

1. Footprint Heart Art

One of the easiest and most sentimental crafts to make with a baby is a handprint or footprint painting. Whether your baby is too young to hold a paintbrush or they have a few months under their belt, using their handprints or footprints to create heart-shaped designs is a timeless keepsake.

What you’ll need:

• Non-toxic washable paint (preferably in red, pink, or white)
• A large sheet of thick paper or cardstock
• Baby wipes for easy cleanup
• A frame for displaying the artwork
• Baby’s first casting set

How to make it:

1. Dip your baby’s foot into the paint, or use a sponge to dab the paint onto your baby. (From experience, I recommend dabbing instead of dipping!)
2. Press the footprint onto the paper to form the shape of a heart. You can do this by arranging prints side by side or layering them in a way that creates a heart shape. This will work for either a piece of paper or the air-dry clay set.
3. Allow the artwork or clay to dry!

This craft makes a lovely Valentine’s Day gift for grandparents or loved ones and offers a visual memory of your baby’s tiny feet.

2. Love Bug Craft with Baby’s Handprint

Create an adorable “love bug” using your baby’s handprint as the insect’s body. It’s a simple craft that’s sure to bring a smile to anyone who sees it.

What you’ll need:

• Red paint
• Black paint pen marker or paint for details (to add eyes and legs)
• Craft paper or cardstock

How to make it:

1. Paint your baby’s hand with the red paint.
2. Gently press the hand onto the paper to make the print.
3. Once the handprint is dry, use the marker or black paint to add details such as antennae, legs, and eyes.
4. Write a cute little phrase like “I’m your love bug” underneath the handprint, or use this adorable instant download from Etsy to make the process even easier.

This simple craft can be a sweet gift, especially as it highlights your baby’s growth! If you’d prefer not to do a bug, there are so many fun ideas for hand or footprints to do with your baby. Little Doodles Print Co has a ton of great instant downloads to make your hand prints the most perfect keepsake!

3. Baby’s First Valentine’s Day Card

Even if your baby isn’t old enough to write, you can still make a personalized Valentine’s Day card using their handprints, footprints, or a cute photo. These cards are perfect for sending to family and friends, and they’ll cherish these little touches for years to come.

What you’ll need:

• Blank greeting cards
• Washable paint (in fun Valentine’s Day colors)
• A photo of your baby (optional)
• Stickers or embellishments (optional)

How to make it:

1. Start by using your baby’s handprint or footprint as the main design on the front of the card.
2. You can add a photo of your baby or a simple heart drawing, depending on your preferences.
3. Add a heartfelt message or quote inside the card. If your baby is too young to help with writing, you can always add their name with a date to preserve the memory.

This craft is a wonderful way to make a sentimental card unique to your little one and can be kept as a keepsake for years to come.

4. Baby’s Valentine’s Day Photo Frame

Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to take sweet photos of your baby and create a personalized frame to showcase the image. This can be a fun activity with your baby, even if they’re still at the stage where they can only giggle at you!

What you’ll need:

• A frame with the amount of images to spell whatever you would like.
• Paint, stickers, or craft materials for decoration (optional)
• A cute Valentine’s Day-themed photo (for example, a photo of your baby wearing a red or pink outfit, holding letters or hearts, or surrounded by Valentine’s decorations)

How to make it:

1. Take multiple cute pictures of your baby holding different letters to spell out whoever you’d like to give this gift to.
2. This part is optional, but if you’d like a more colorful frame, you can decorate it with paint, glitter, or stickers that match the Valentine’s Day theme.
3. Once everything is dry, insert the photos into the frame.

This personalized Valentine’s Day frame will make a beautiful addition to your home and will hold sentimental value for years to come as a reminder of your baby’s first Valentine’s Day. Amazon has a ton of great frame options.

Image via EngageLittles

5. Heart-Shaped Sensory Play

Valentine’s Day is a great time to introduce your baby to sensory play, stimulating their sense of touch, sight, and even smell. A heart-shaped theme sensory bin can engage your baby in a playful and creative way.

What you’ll need:

• A shallow bin or tray
• Red, pink, or white rice or pasta (dyed with food coloring) or even Cheerios (they make heart-shaped or strawberry flavor)
• Valentine’s Day-themed objects like felt hearts, small stuffed animals, plastic spoons, heart cookie cutters (dull ones), small shovels, or cups.

How to make it:

1. Dye your rice or pasta using food coloring or use ready-made colored sensory materials.
2. Fill the bin with the colorful rice, pasta, or Cheerios.
3. Add heart-shaped items, plastic toys, or Valentine-themed objects for your baby to explore.

Even if your baby is too young to understand the concept of sensory play, they’ll enjoy touching and feeling the textures. You can always fill a bin of water with a few colorful heart toys and let them engage. You can join in by guiding their hands through the bin and encouraging exploration. Engaging Littles has excellent suggestions for incorporating sensory bins into your baby’s play.

Creating Memories

Whatever craft you decide to make with your baby this Valentine’s Day, remember that it’s not about creating something perfect — it’s about creating memories you will cherish forever. The tiny handprints and footprints will never be that tiny again, so soak in every moment with your baby at this stage. It really does go by so quickly.

So, grab the paint, let your creativity flow, and most importantly, enjoy the process of making memories with your little one. Happy Valentine’s Day!