Considering homemade Valentine's Day cards? Here are some simple ideas

At my house, we have a big art box that, over the years, has turned into a black hole for all manner of crafty items. There are Popsicle sticks, pom poms, more kinds of glue than I knew existed before I had kids, paint, paint brushes, stencils, paper, stickers and googly eyes scattered throughout.

I knew I had a a lot of stuff in there. I didn't realize just how much until I cleaned it out after Christmas to make room for all the construction paper Santa brought.

So as my kids' school Valentine's Day parties neared, I decided that, at the very least, my two-year-old would be making her own cards. She has just ten kids in her preschool class. And she's usually home with me, so we had plenty of time.

When my six-year-old learned all about my plans for her sister, she wanted in on the fun too.

"Are you sure?" I asked, envisioning the time it will take to complete all 22 of her Valentine's Day cards on top of her homework, various extracurricular activities and play dates.

She was sure. "I have 17 more to go," she said moments ago as she put the finishing touches on a blue heart.

I cut hearts out for my two-year-old. But, other than that, my kids have been in charge of their creations. There's nothing fancy here.  Think construction paper, crayons, marker, stickers and stamps.

When I tried to stop my two-year-old from layering Dora stickers on top of princess stickers on top of flower stickers on top of monkey stickers, I reminded myself that I needed to step back and let her do it. It's kind of funny that I had to remind myself since "I do it" is what she tells me all the time.

If you're looking to get crafty this Valentine's Day, here are some other easy ideas.

1. Let your young child color, finger paint or otherwise decorate a large piece of paper. When he's done, cut out heart shapes from the paper and sign his name.

Happy Valentine's Day!