DIY gifts are the answer to the question: how do I make Valentine’s Day special? To make it affordable, make it a Dollar Tree DIY Valentine’s Day. There are lots of fun and celebratory selections, all for $1.25. I’m lovin’ that.
Even though these ideas are all very easy, there’s still a time investment that says, “I love you,” along with the ability to personalize the gift. Does your partner love games? Got you covered. Do they hate chocolate? Check. (No chocolate here, but if your partner loves it, check out these chocolate coupons to get a deal!)
Best part? You can get most of the supplies at Dollar Tree (since store inventory varies), so you can stick to a budget. Want more Valentine’s Day craft ideas and savings tips? Check these out:
- Where to buy cheap Valentine’s Day flowers
- Valentine’s Day puns for kids
- Easy Valentine’s Day crafts for kids
- Dollar Tree deals
You can use coupons to buy your Dollar Tree DIY Valentine’s Day gifts.
It’s true, Dollar Tree accepts manufacturer coupons. This means anything you buy that’s a brand name corresponding to a coupon you’ve got on hand will knock down the price so it’s even less than $1. One thing to watch for is item quantities because Dollar Tree sizes tend to be different than sizes sold in big-box stores. Usually, the item at a dollar store won’t qualify for the coupon because it’s too small. But a lot of the time, the size is in bounds for your coupon!
This often results in half-price or free items. If you have a $1 off coupon and the item costs $1.25, it’s nearly free.
If KCL hosts coupons for any of these brands below, I’ll include that in the tip. In the meantime, see all Dollar Tree deals.
1. Turn clothespins into candy butterflies with washi tape and googly eyes.
Adhere washi tape to the top of each clothespin, then fill Dollar Tree Valentine’s bags with M&M’s or another favorite candy. Make your butterfly wings by twisting the bag in the center, evenly distributing the candy on each side. Then clip it with the clothespin. Finish it off with googly eyes and pipe cleaners for the antennae.
2. Create a non-cheesy, DIY Valentine’s Day gift for him — tic-tac-toe.
Make your partner (or your kids’ class valentines) an easy game that’s also partly edible. With boxes of Tic Tac mints, festive Dollar Tree treat bags, and two free printables from The Krazy Coupon Lady (below), you’ve got something creative and interactive.
Insert the “game board” and Tic Tacs into a small treat bag. Fold the valentine label over the top of the bag and seal it with double-sided tape.
Here’s what you need:
3. Use bath toys and a craft bottle to make a dry frog prince snow globe for kids.
Avoid spills, leaks, and broken glass by helping your kids make a waterless (aka dry) snow globe. Use a shatterproof craft bottle, sequins, Valentine’s Day confetti, frog bath toy, bakeable clay, red Sharpie paint pen, and hot glue.
Begin by transforming your bath toy frog into a prince.
Draw on a heart “kiss” with a Sharpie. Use bakeable clay from Michaels and sculpt a crown for your frog prince. Bake the clay to harden it. Once the crown has cooled, attach it to your frog with hot glue.
Fill your shatterproof craft jar with sequins and Valentine’s Day confetti. To give my frog a little more height in the jar, I used a second block of bakeable clay formed to fit inside the lid of my jar, then baked it. With hot glue, attach the clay to the lid and the frog to the clay.
Insert your frog and secure the lid. To prevent kids from opening the jar and making a confetti mess, add a few drops of super glue to the lid.
4. Make Dollar Tree DIY Valentines with dinosaur toys and a free printable.
Use string to attach dinosaur erasers to the free printable provided below.
Download the free dinosaur valentine printable. Now address them out to your buddies who share a love of reptiles.
5. Use yarn and mini cups to bring Valentine Love Monsters to life.
For these Dollar Tree DIY valentines, you’ll need yarn, mini red cups, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, foam hearts, cardboard, hot glue, and scissors to make these monsters.
To create the main hair poof for your monster, cut a piece of cardboard 3 x 1 3/4 inches. Begin by wrapping yarn long ways around the cardboard approximately 200 times. Tie the yarn in the center on one side of the cardboard. Flip the cardboard over and cut through the middle of the yarn.
Repeat this process for the top hair poof by wrapping the yarn — short ways — around the cardboard approximately 30 times. Tie and cut through the center on the opposite side.
Turn a mini red cup (found at Dollar Tree) upside down, and use hot glue to attach the large poof followed by the smaller to the cup.
Now the fun begins. Give your monster personality by decorating it with googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and foam hearts.
6. Turn a bubble wand into a heart-popping DIY Valentine’s Day gift.
Use string and a hole punch to attach each printed valentine to red or pink bubble wands. Download the Make My Heart Pop valentine printable to make this a quick and easy gift.
7. Count down to Valentine’s Day with Hershey’s Kisses.
Grab a roll of cellophane from the gift wrap section, a bag of Hershey’s kisses, and a roll of string from Dollar Tree. Cut a strip of cellophane lengthwise, approximately four inches wide.
Tie your first bow about one to two inches from the top of the cellophane. Add a kiss and tie a second bow. Repeat this process until you have 14 days of kisses — including one for Valentine’s Day.
Stay on budget with Hershey’s coupons. And download the Kisses Countdown free printable tag to construct your DIY gift.
8. Make your own Valentine’s Day decorations by using doilies from Dollar Tree.
Make a festive photo backdrop from several packs of doilies in varying sizes and colors found in the Dollar Tree Valentine’s Day aisle. Just reuse white Christmas lights, too.
Gently puncture the center of each doily by pushing the light through. If you need some help getting the hole started, use a wooden skewer or a pair of sharp scissors. Fill the string of lights as much or as little as you like. Then hang them vertically on your wall with tape or Command hooks.
9. Tell your friends they’re “o-fish-ally the best” with a Goldfish cracker valentine.
Put this valentine together for your child’s classmates by picking up boxes of Goldfish crackers from Dollar Tree. Use double-sided tape to adhere the printed valentine to the front of each box. Download the free O-fish-ally the Best valentine printable.
See all Goldfish coupons.
10. Use baking cups to make an edible lollipop flower arrangement.
Instead of spending money on an expensive floral arrangement, use baking cups and your valentine’s favorite kind of lollipop to make your own.
Begin by laying out six regular-size baking cups. Fold four of them in half displaying the colorful side on the outside, and leave two lying flat.
Punch holes in the center of each of the four folded baking cups approximately 1/4 inch from the folded edge. Then make another hole in the middle of the two remaining baking cups.
Take one small candy size baking cup and punch a single hole in its center.
Insert the small baking cup onto the stick of your lollipop, colorful side facing up. Follow that with four folded papers, overlapping a fourth of the baking cup each time to form “petals.” Finish by adding the two open baking cups, colored side up.
Using foam paper, cut out two leaves, then wrap the “leaf stem” around the lollipop stick, and secure it with hot glue. Voila! It’s another Dollar Tree DIY Valentine’s Day project to the rescue.
Use candy coupons to stock up for Valentine’s Day or any time you need a sweet fix.
11. Dress up a bag of microwave popcorn as a cheap Valentine’s Day gift.
Make someone the “pop to your corn” with this clever idea. Not only is popcorn inexpensive (get a 3-pack for $1.25), but it’s mighty delicious. Gift this to your partner or BFFs as a hint to get together to watch a rom-com on Valentine’s Day. We’ve made it even more affordable with a free “Poppin’ Good” popcorn valentine printable.
12. Create easy “Cupid’s Arrow” DIY valentines with Dollar Tree hearts and pencils.
These are great for your kids’ classmates or fun decor your little ones can use. Transform Dollar Tree glittery foam hearts, pencils, and red tape into Cupid’s arrows.
First, use a ruler and craft knife to cut two slits in the glittery foam heart large enough to fit a pencil through. Insert the pencil through the slits.
Use hot glue to attach two small foam hearts together, creating the point of the arrow. Make sure to leave a gap large enough to slip the tip of the pencil in.
Protect the eraser and the end of the pencil by wrapping a small piece of paper around it. Fold a piece of red tape over the paper at the end of the pencil. Use scissors to cut the tape and make the “feather” on the end.
13. Make DIY Valentine’s Day gifts with your kids — googly eye love bugs.
Purchase a pack of foam hearts with the adhesive back and googly eyes from Dollar Tree. Stick them onto card stock. Use a Sharpie to add legs, antennae, and a smile. Easy peasy.
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