How to Host a Crafty Valentine's Day Party

Let’s face it, without Valentine’s Day, February looks pretty drab. To that we say, don your proverbial rose-colored glasses and invite a few sets of friends over for a Valentine's Day party full of love-themed snacks and crafts. Start by converting a Valentine’s Day card into a party invitation, and encourage guests to wear their hearts on their sleeves by dressing in pink and red. Snacks Made with Love

"10 Reasons Why I Love You" photo book theme

The Big Squeeze Break out your Panini press or simply set a cast iron skillet on top of sandwiches while they sizzle away on a regular old sauté pan. Make a sweet and a savory version for breakfast sandwiches that satisfy every craving. We love strawberry, banana, and nutella paninis and Valentine's Day Monte Cristo Paninis.

Love Goes Pop Serve up a batch of sparkling juice for the kids. Pour individual servings into little bottles with fun, colorful straws. We love to make our own fresh juice and simply mix it with sparkling water so there’s no added sugar.

Love in a Mug Have a pot of homemade hot cocoa simmering on the stove with a ladle and bowl of homemade whipped cream or marshmallows nearby for self-serve love in a mug.

Hearts of Jelly Whip up a batch of buttery sandwich cookies complete with a little window in the middle to expose sweet jelly hearts. My mom always made heart-shaped jam cookies when I was a kid, so they’re super nostalgic for me. It’s just not Valentine’s Day without them.

Love at First Sip Mix up a sweet surprise for your adults guests. Around Valentine's Day ,there’s no better drink option than a St. Germain Cocktail. Simply mix a little sparkling white wine—Brut Champagne, Cava, or Prosecco—with a shot of the not-too-sweet elderberry liqueur, splash of soda, and twist of lemon or lime.

Quick Crafts for Grown-Ups

"XOXO" Valentine's Day card

Vintage Arrow Valentines Have a table set up with all the supplies needed to create quirky vintage-style Valentine's Day arrows. Grown-ups can make the traditional weighty wooden arrows, and kids can make our flying straw version below.

Love Pillow Set squares of fabric and pre-cut letters out with simple sewing supplies so guests can whip up a sweet, comfy pillow cover quickly and easily.

Crazy-for-You Kids Crafts

"My Valentine" photo book theme

Arrow Valentines Encourage kids to get a little messy. There’s only so much glitter, glue, lace, and lettering most active kids will tolerate before they start throwing things. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we say, "Embrace it!" Set up a station where kids can create valentine arrows meant to take to the skies. Inspired by the arrows pictured above, achieve our version by replacing dowels with drinking straws and wooden labels with paper ones.

Broken Crayon Hearts Set up a station where kids can magically transform all their broken crayons into beautiful, giftable heart-shaped crayon art. Use scissors to pre-cut crayons into small pieces, then have kids drop the pieces into heart-shaped molds bound for the oven. And, voila!

Origami Lollipops Provide older kids with a more challenging craft idea. If your kids can sit patiently while following directions (and we dream fervently that this day will come), we suggest they craft origami hearts to house sweet lollipops. If children can churn out enough of them, they can even serve as Valentines to share with classmates.

Jar of Love Extend holiday fun by modifying a winter snow globe. Ever since our kids started belting out “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri, we can’t help but be drawn to crafts that are the physical embodiment of the song. We love Camilla Fabbri’s Jar of Love. We made it using the same Mason jars and Twisteez Wire, but by filling the jar with candy hearts instead of glitter.

Looking for Love Scavenger Hunt

"Circles of Love" Valentine's Day card

Burn off some of the sugar in sweet Valentine's Day party snacks by setting up and allowing your Valentine's Day party guests of all ages to compete in a scavenger hunt. Start by splitting kids up into teams of two, then sending them off on a seek-and-find mission for a few Valentine-inspired items.

Some items you might prep for hiding include

• Heart
• Red shirt
• Flower
• Poem
• Pair of wings
• Pink crayon
• Chocolate chips
• Some lace
• Arrow
• Candy

Type your list on paper, adding pictures for the not-yet-reading set. Have a little gift ready for the winning team. Any little thing will do, but if you’re feeling ambitious, make Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs a day ahead to pass out as prizes or party favors.

Is there a Valentine’s Day party treat you make year after year? We want to hear about it!