20 Valentines bags for kids to make is likely top of mind if you have little ones getting ready for their school party exchange. I remember the scramble to find the perfect box or bag for all those sweet treats!
Honestly, making them at home is half the fun and creates such sweet memories. You don’t need fancy supplies; just some paper, glue, and creativity will do the trick to create these cute carriers.
1. The Classic Puppy Love Bag 🐶
This is hands down one of the cutest ways to collect cards. It turns a standard brown lunch sack into a floppy-eared friend that every kid loves. It’s perfect because you probably already have the main supplies in your pantry.
What You Need:
- Brown paper lunch bags
- Construction paper (Brown, White, Black, Red)
- Glue stick
- Black marker
How to Make:
Take your folded brown paper bag and keep it flat. Cut two long, teardrop shapes out of brown construction paper for the ears and glue them to the top corners so they flop down.
Cut a white circle for the eye patch and two smaller black circles for eyes. Glue on a cute black nose and use the marker to draw a mouth. Finally, attach a red paper tongue sticking out for that playful puppy look.
2. Heart-Stamped Canvas Tote
If you want something a bit more durable that they can reuse, these little totes are amazing. It’s a messy craft, but the result is so artistic and unique to each child.
What You Need:
- Small plain canvas tote bags
- Red and Pink fabric paint (or acrylic)
- Empty toilet paper roll
- Paper plate (for paint)
How to Make:
Take your empty toilet paper roll and press one end inwards to crease it, forming a heart shape. Pour some red and pink paint onto a paper plate. Dip the heart-shaped end of the roll into the paint and stamp it all over the canvas bag. You can overlap colors or keep them separate. Let it dry completely before letting your little one take it to school.
3. Unicorn Magic Mailbox 🦄
For the kids who are obsessed with all things magical, this white bag makeover is a winner. It stands out in the classroom and holds plenty of candy.
What You Need:
- White paper gift bag
- Gold glitter paper
- Pastel paper flowers (stickers or paper cutouts)
- Black marker
- Glue
How to Make:
Cut a cone shape from the gold glitter paper and glue it to the very top center of the bag. Arrange your pastel paper flowers right below the horn to create a “crown.” Using the black marker, draw two curved lines for sleepy eyelashes below the flowers. You can add pink circles for cheeks if you want extra cuteness!
4. The Hungry Monster Box
Boys especially seem to love this one, but really, who doesn’t love a friendly monster? It turns the act of giving a Valentine into “feeding” the monster.
What You Need:
- Empty tissue box (rectangular)
- Acrylic paint (Green, Purple, or Blue)
- White cardstock
- Googly eyes (large)
- Egg carton (optional)
How to Make:
Paint the entire outside of the tissue box a fun, bright color and let it dry. The opening of the tissue box will be the mouth. Cut jagged triangles out of white cardstock to look like sharp teeth and glue them along the inside rim of the opening. Glue big googly eyes on top of the box. You can cut an egg carton cup, paint it, and glue it on top for a bumpy eye socket or horns.
5. Emoji Face Yellow Bags 😍
These are super trendy and incredibly easy to mass-produce if you have more than one child. The bright yellow color is impossible to miss.
What You Need:
- Yellow paper gift bags
- Red cardstock (for heart eyes)
- Black cardstock or marker (for mouth)
- Glue
How to Make:
Cut two large hearts out of the red cardstock. Glue these where the eyes should be on the yellow bag. Cut a semi-circle or a smile shape from the black cardstock and glue it below the eyes. That’s it! You can do different emojis like the “blowing a kiss” face or the “sunglasses” face too.
6. Paper Plate Heart Pockets
This is a clever twist that doesn’t use a bag or box, but rather two plates to create a pocket. It’s very budget-friendly and easy for toddlers to help with laced edges.
What You Need:
- Two paper plates
- Red yarn or ribbon
- Hole punch
- Markers or stickers
How to Make:
Cut one paper plate in half. Take the whole paper plate and place one half-plate on top of it, facing the same way, to create a pouch at the bottom. Punch holes along the curved rim where the two plates overlap. Thread red yarn through the holes to sew them together. Decorate the front with markers, stickers, or glitter.
7. Butterfly Beauty Bag
This idea transforms a simple bag into a winged creature. It’s very whimsical and gives lots of surface area for decorating.
What You Need:
- Small paper bag (any color)
- Construction paper (contrasting colors)
- Pipe cleaners
- Glue and decorative gems
How to Make:
Cut two large wing shapes out of construction paper. Decorate the wings with smaller paper shapes or stick-on gems. Glue the wings to the back of the paper bag so they stick out the sides. Glue two pipe cleaners to the inside of the front rim so they poke up like antennas. Draw a simple happy face on the front of the bag.
8. The Cool Robot Carrier 🤖
I love this one because it uses foil, which adds a totally different texture. It looks super high-tech but is just cardboard underneath.
What You Need:
- Small cereal box or shoe box
- Aluminum foil
- Bottle caps (plastic)
- Construction paper
- Glue or tape
How to Make:
Wrap the entire box in aluminum foil, keeping the top open (or cut a slot if using a shoebox). Use plastic bottle caps as “buttons” and knobs on the front, gluing them down securely. Cut square eyes and a mouth from paper to make the face. You can add pipe cleaners on the sides for robot arms.
9. Lace Doily Delight
For a vintage, sweet look, paper doilies are the secret weapon. This feels very traditional and looks lovely with pink and red themes.
What You Need:
- Pink or Red paper bags
- White paper heart doilies
- Glue stick
- Ribbon
How to Make:
This is all about layering. Glue a large white heart doily onto the center of a colored bag. You can layer a smaller pink paper heart on top of the doily for contrast. Punch two holes at the top of the bag and thread a ribbon through to make a fancy handle or bow tie. It’s simple but looks very elegant.
10. Superhero Cape Bag 🦸
Every kid wants to feel like a hero. This bag actually wears a cape, which I find hilarious and adorable.
What You Need:
- Red or Blue paper bag
- Felt or fabric scrap (for cape)
- Construction paper (Yellow, Black)
- Glue
How to Make:
Cut a piece of felt into a trapezoid shape to look like a cape. Glue the top edge of the cape to the back rim of the bag. On the front of the bag, cut out a superhero shield logo (like a diamond or oval) from yellow paper and glue it on. Add an initial letter for the child’s name in the center of the logo.
11. Fuzzy Felt Monster
Texture is key here. Instead of painting a box, you cover it in something soft. Kids love petting these boxes!
What You Need:
- Small box
- Faux fur fabric or sheets of felt
- Large googly eyes
- Hot glue (adult supervision required)
How to Make:
Cut your felt or faux fur to fit around the box. Use hot glue to secure the fabric so the box is completely covered. Cut an opening for the mail. Glue on the biggest googly eyes you can find—one big one or three small ones makes it look more “monster-like.” Add felt triangles for horns on top.
12. Garden of Hearts 🌷
If you are tired of the typical red and pink explosion, this brings in some fresh greens. It looks like a little garden growing on their desk.
What You Need:
- Green paper bag or box
- Green pipe cleaners
- Colored paper (for hearts)
- Tape
How to Make:
Cut several hearts out of pink, red, and purple paper. Tape a green pipe cleaner to the bottom of each heart to act as a stem. Tape or glue the stems to the inside of the bag so the “heart flowers” poke out of the top. You can cut fringe from green paper and glue it to the bottom of the bag to look like grass.
13. Cereal Box Mailbox
This is the classic recycling project. It transforms trash into a treasure and mimics a real mailbox shape.
What You Need:
- Empty cereal box
- Construction paper or wrapping paper
- Brad fastener (split pin)
- Cardboard scrap
How to Make:
Tape the top of the cereal box shut. Cut a rectangular slot on the wide face of the box for mail. Wrap the entire box in paper, cutting out the slot opening again. Cut a small flag shape from cardboard. Use the brad fastener to attach the flag to the side of the box so it can move up and down to signal “you’ve got mail!”
14. Sweet Strawberry Bag 🍓
This is so summery and sweet for February. It uses the shape of the bag perfectly.
What You Need:
- Red paper bag
- Green construction paper
- Black marker
- Glue
How to Make:
Cut the top edge of the red bag in a rounded shape if possible, or just leave it straight. Cut large leafy shapes out of green paper and glue them around the top rim to look like the strawberry stem. Use the black marker to draw small teardrop shapes all over the red bag to represent the seeds.
15. Owl Always Love You
Owls are a Valentine’s staple because of the pun potential. This design uses big circles to create that wide-eyed look.
What You Need:
- Paper bag (Brown or colored)
- Cupcake liners (for eyes)
- Orange paper (beak)
- Patterned paper (tummy)
How to Make:
Flatten two cupcake liners and glue them near the top of the bag for the whites of the eyes. Glue black circles in the center of the liners. Cut a triangle beak from orange paper and place it between the eyes. Cut a semi-circle of patterned paper and glue it to the bottom half of the bag to simulate the owl’s feather tummy.
16. Bee Mine Bumblebee 🐝
Yellow and black stripes are so striking. This one includes wings, making the bag look wider and more impressive.
What You Need:
- Yellow paper bag
- Black construction paper
- White paper (wings)
- Glue
How to Make:
Cut thick strips of black paper and glue them horizontally across the yellow bag. Cut two heart shapes out of white paper and glue them to the back of the bag, sticking out the sides to look like wings. Add a happy face on the top yellow section and two black pipe cleaner antennas.
17. Woven Paper Basket
This is a great fine-motor skill activity. It looks intricate but is just a simple pattern.
What You Need:
- Two colors of construction paper (e.g., Pink and Red)
- Scissors
- Stapler or tape
How to Make:
Cut long strips of both paper colors (about 1 inch wide). Lay the pink strips horizontally and weave the red strips vertically through them (over, under, over, under). Once you have a woven square, fold it into a pouch shape or staple the edges to create a basket. Add a handle made from a strip of paper.
18. Hot Air Balloon Bucket 🎈
This is a vertical structure that looks impressive on a desk. It holds a lot of treats in the “basket.”
What You Need:
- Plastic cup or small bucket
- Balloon (inflated but small) OR a paper lantern
- 2 straws or dowels
- Tape
How to Make:
The cup acts as the basket. Tape two straws to the inside of the cup, sticking straight up. Attach your small inflated balloon or a paper honeycomb ball to the top of the straws. You can decorate the “basket” (cup) with stickers. The Valentines go inside the cup!
19. Envelope Chair Backer
Sometimes desks are too crowded. This solution hangs right on the back of the student’s chair.
What You Need:
- Large Manila envelope (10×13 or larger)
- Wide ribbon
- Stickers/Decorations
- Hole punch
How to Make:
Seal the envelope flap shut. Cut the top edge off the envelope so it’s a deep pocket. Punch two holes in the top left and top right corners. Thread a long piece of ribbon through the holes so it creates a large loop. This loop goes over the back of the school chair so the envelope hangs down the back. Decorate the envelope with plenty of heart stickers.
20. The Love Bug Ladybug 🐞
This is a classic for a reason. The red and black combo fits the holiday perfectly and it’s very gender-neutral.
What You Need:
- Red paper bag or paper plate
- Black construction paper
- Pipe cleaners
- Glue
How to Make:
Take your red bag. Cut a large black semi-circle for the head and glue it to the top flap (if using a bag) or top edge. Cut several black circles of different sizes and glue them all over the red body for spots. Add pipe cleaner antennas to the head. You can also cut a slit down the middle of the red part to make it look like wings opening up.
Conclusion
I hope this list has sparked some creativity for your upcoming Valentine’s Day prep! Whether you go for the Classic Puppy Love Bag or try the more intricate Hot Air Balloon, the most important thing is having fun with your kids while making them. These personal touches are what make classroom parties so special.
Don’t forget to pin this list to your Valentine’s Day Board so you can find these ideas next year! 📌
