With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I was looking for a new hands-on craft that I could do with my kindergarten students. We have worked with paper mache in the past and created beautiful pieces, so I decided to make a template so that we could make something for Valentine’s Day. This Free Valentines Day Paper Mache Activity includes a free template and step by step instructions for you to make your own themed art this holiday.

I’ve been making paper mache for years. I started with a simple piñata for one of my kid’s birthdays and used flour and water. I like this mixture and it works well, but I’ve started using recycled paper and glue and I love it for small art projects, like this.

If you’ve got paper ready for the garbage or recycling, don’t get rid of it! Reuse it for this paper mache project. It is also a great sensory experience for kids. So grab your paper, water and glue for this unique and simple art project for kids.

If you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day activities for kids, at home or in the classroom, check out a Free Valentine’s Day Escape Room Game. It has free puzzles and lots of hands-on clues for kids, families or groups to solve! Make sure to also check out the popular collection of 37 Valentine’s Day STEM Activities.

When you’ve completed this art project, if you are inspired to make more paper mache projects, make sure to visit Hands-On Teaching Ideas top paper mache ideas: 17 Best Paper Mache Art Ideas.

Free Valentine’s Day Paper Mache Activity

Making Your Paper Mache

Making paper mache is easier than you may think. It is a bit messy, but the experience and end product make it worth it! For this Free Valentine’s Day Paper Mache Activity, you will need:

• Paper (Used drawing paper, paper towel work well)
• Bowls
• Water
• Blender
• Glue
• Paint
• Strainer
• Heart Template (Available for free to download at bottom)
• Tweezers (Optional)

Start by ripping the paper up. You can use paper that has some writing or drawings on it. White paper works best. If you mix different colors of paper, the colorful paper pulp will be challenging to use for your paper mache.

Once your paper is all ripped up, soak it in warm water. The longer you can soak it for the better, but the paper will start to break down quickly.

Next, use a blender, or hand mixer and add lots of water. More water will make blending it a lot easier. Blend until the paper is turned into a pulp.

Sensory Play Idea

This is always my students favorite part. If you have time, give kids the opportunity to get their hands into the paper pulp. It is a really interesting sensory experience. Once you have your pulp, and kids are done feeling it, it’s time to remove some of the water.

If you have a strainer, it works best, but you can remove the water without one. Simply use your hands and squeeze out some of the water. Don’t remove all of the water or the pulp will become too thick/stiff to mix in the glue and paint. You want it to be wet, but not dripping.

Once most of the water has been removed, it’s time to add glue. Use roughly 1/4 the amount of glue compared to the amount of pulp you have. (1 cup of pulp, use 1/4 cup of glue.)

Mix the pulp+glue mixture and separate the pulp into sections. You’ll need one section for each color you want to make and use for your heart. I separated it into three groups for red, purple and pink.

Paper Mache Alternative Idea

If you don’t want to use recycled paper, or if you don’t have paint available, you can still make the paper mache with colored paper. Choose several sheets of each color paper you want to make paper pulp out of. Soak the paper and make it the same way as described above. You just don’t have to add paint.

Valentine Art Project for Kids

Once you have your colored paper mache ready, make sure you have printed the “Happy Valentine’s Day” heart templated for each child creating a heart.

You don’t have to use the template and children can even draw their own heart to fill with the paper mache; however, since I teach young children, I have found that the template makes a huge difference. Children can still choose their colors and design, but the template gives them a guide and some structure.

Once printed, children can start adding their paper mache onto the heart. Try to fill the heart and all white spots. You can provide tweezers for children to use if they want to. I find some children avoid the project because they don’t want to get messy. Providing tweezers gives them the option to participate without the messy.

The tweezers can also help with adding details to the design. Kids can add any color or design they want to their heart. Once they are done, leave the heart to dry. Depending how wet your paper mache mixture is it may take a few days to dry.

Once it is dry the heart will be hard, textured and ready to display. You can cut the heart out and place on a background or use it to decorate for Valentine’s Day.

Free Valentine’s Day Paper Mache Activity

Extension Ideas

The color of my paper mache pulp was not as red as I had hoped. I could have added more red paint to the pulp mixture, however, you can also touch up your project after it is dry. I used red paint and painted a top coat over the red paper mache. You can touch up and add color to your project once it is dry.

You can also add a gloss or polish on top to make your paper mache heart shiny and glossy! It’s a great way to finish it off. Regular glue will work if you don’t have modge podge.

The project will leave each child with a beautiful, textured heart, but it also provides a great learning experience for children as they created the paper mache and felt the pulp. I hope that you and your kids enjoy this free Valentines Day paper mache activity as much as my students and I did.

Free Valentine’s Day Paper Mache Activity

Free Heart Template

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