I’m a big fan of NON-CANDY Valentines, especially ideas that are quick, affordable, and easy to make for an entire 2nd grade classroom. These darling free printable Valentine’s Day Monsters are perfect for your kids’ classmates, play-group, or friends!

When it comes to Valentines for my kids to hand out to their friends and classmates, I have three requirements:

Not food based
We can make it ourselves
Can’t cost a lot

These DIY monster Valentines meet every requirement!

Here’s what you need to make these DIY play dough monster valentines:

CONTAINERS (At $0.83/each I really like using these!)
PLAY DOUGH (my favorite recipe)
STICKER PAPER (like this)
CARD STOCK

STEP 1: MAKE THE PLAY DOUGH

Follow this recipe to make play dough in the color of your choice. Let cool to room temperature, then place equal sized balls of dough in each container.

I like to roll my dough into a “log,” roughly one-and-a-half inches in diameter. Then cut it into two-inch lengths. They come out looking like little marshmallows!

STEP 2: DOWNLOAD FREE PRINTABLES

Download the Free Valentine Printables here!

STEP 3: PRINT OUT THE PRINTABLES

These Valentines are so versatile! You can print them on sticker paper, then simply peel and stick. Or print them on regular printer paper, cut them out, and glue them on the lids!

The hearts are just as easy—print on card stock, then cut, and tie/glue/tape them to your containers.

TIP: Have your kids sign their name on the heart tags before you attach them to your containers—it’s much easier to write on them when they’re flat on the table!