Puzzle Valentines

Puzzle Valentines are perfect to give to friends, grandparents, teachers, or even Mom or Dad! My kids had an absolute blast designing their own custom puzzles, and there were far fewer fights than getting them to sign their name to 4,000 Valentine cards.

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Every holiday seems to be inundated with so many sweets! It seems like after every holiday we end up with bags of candy that we donate, because it’s far more than any of us will ever eat.

So this year for Valentine’s Day I wanted to find something the kids could give that was personal, but that wasn’t a sweet treat. We ended up making these Puzzle Valentines and they’re so cool!

If you like the idea of non-candy Valentines, I have a few other ideas you can make too! Sticker Valentines are adorable for just about any age. These Crayon Valentines come with printable color sheets! These Happy Meal Valentines will make any kid’s day special!

How do you make Puzzle Valentines?

Step 1: Gather your supplies.

You will need:

• Free Printable Puzzle Valentines Tags
• Blank Puzzles (I used the ones I found on Amazon HERE)
• Markers
• Ribbon or Twine
• Small Jars (Like these super cute ones I found on Amazon HERE)
• Hole Punch
• Scissors
• Cardstock Paper

Step 2: Design your puzzle.

First you will need to customize your puzzles. The ones I bought came in a multi-pack and were pretty affordable.

I let my oldest, who is 8, use permanent markers for hers, and made the almost-three-year-old use regular markers. The regular markers took a little longer to dry, so they did smear a bit, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker.

Once they’re finished with their puzzles, you will need to break them apart and put them in the little jars you got. These fit great in small mason jars.

These puzzles did need a little help breaking apart cleanly. The very edges seemed to be sealed still, so it took me about 30 seconds to press a razor knife along the seams on the edge before breaking them apart. This was worth it to me for the price savings.

If, however, you decide you don’t want to fiddle with custom puzzles, these Puzzle Valentines would still be adorable with pre-made puzzles.

The dollar store always has cute kid’s puzzles and would be a cheap filler option if you didn’t want to go the custom puzzle route.

Step 3: Attach the tags.

After you have your puzzles done and in the jars, you’re ready to attach the tags. These tags are free to print HERE.

They’re best when printed on cardstock, and print nine tags per sheet, so keep that in mind when you go to print.

Cut the tags out, and use a hole punch to punch a hole in the top right corner of the tag.

String a piece of twine or ribbon that’s long enough to tie around your jar through the hole. Tie the tag onto your Puzzle Valentines jars.

When they’re done, they should look something like this! They turn out super cute, and don’t take much effort to make!

Click HERE to get the printable tags. Happy making!

Want more DIY Valentine ideas?

• DIY Scratch Off Valentines – These are super easy to put together, and are easily personalized to hold whatever message you want!
• Crayon Valentines – Use these free printables to make cute Crayon Valentines to hand out this year!
• Hugs and Kisses Valentines – These Hugs and Kisses Valentines are the perfect classroom gift, or gift for your kids, or even for teachers!

Whether you make these with custom puzzles, or store-bought puzzles, these Puzzle Valentines will be well-received by all this Valentine’s Day!