Valentine’s Day Paper Plate Craft for Kids

Looking for an easy Valentine’s Day paper plate craft for kids that keeps little hands busy? This simple lacing activity takes just minutes to set up and helps preschoolers practice fine motor skills while creating a sweet Valentine’s Day decoration they’ll be proud to display.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s the perfect time to dive into some heartwarming preschool crafts that not only bring joy but also offer developmental benefits.

Today, I’ll share how you can guide your little ones through a simple craft that enhances their motor skills while they create charming keepsakes.

So, gather your paper plates and let’s craft some love!

Why This Valentine Craft Works for Preschoolers

Here’s what I love about this paper plate craft: it looks like you’re just making something cute for Valentine’s Day, but your preschooler is actually building hand strength, coordination, and focus with every stitch.

The threading motion strengthens those little fingers for future writing. The back-and-forth pattern helps both sides of the brain work together. And the concentration it takes to line up the yarn with each hole? That’s real learning happening—even if it doesn’t look like a worksheet.

But the real reason this works so well is because it meets you where you are. No complicated prep. No special materials. Just punch some holes, hand over the yarn, and let your child work at their own pace. Some kids will finish in ten minutes. Others will take their time. Both are learning.

And when they’re done, they’ve created something they’re genuinely proud of—not because you made it perfect, but because they did it themselves.

So if you’ve been wondering whether a simple craft like this “counts” as real learning, the answer is absolutely yes.

Valentine’s Day Paper Plate Craft for Kids

Ready to set up this Valentine craft? Good news: you probably already have everything you need in your craft drawer. I’ll walk you through each step, and I promise it’s easier than it looks.

This is one of those activities where the setup takes longer than actually doing it—which means you can prep a few plates ahead of time and pull them out whenever you need a calm, focused activity. Perfect for those afternoons when everyone needs something to do with their hands.

Let’s get started.

What You’ll Need

• Clean paper plate
• Scissors
• Single-hole punch
• Yarn

What You’ll Do

Start by folding a large plate in half. Draw a half of a heart shape on the fold of the plate and a circle along the border.

Make sure you leave the bottom of the heart attached, this will make it easier to keep the laces even all around the plate.

Cut out the shape of a heart. You can trace around the other side of the cut out to make both sides match, if you’d like.

Using the hole punch, punch holes all around the border of the plate and the inside heart.

Start with one long piece of yarn (we started with red), weave the yarn from the heart to the border all around the plate leaving every other hole along the border blank for the pink yarn.

Finish the design by weaving the end of the yarn from the heart to the border using the empty holes.

The paper plate heart is now completed.

More Valentine’s Day Crafts

Looking for more simple Valentine’s Day activities? I’ve rounded up a few favorites that won’t overwhelm your afternoon or require a trip to the craft store.

These aren’t complicated projects that need Pinterest-perfect execution. They’re just easy crafts that let your preschooler create something sweet while practicing skills like cutting, gluing, and hand coordination.

Pick one that sounds doable for your day, grab what you already have on hand, and let your child lead the way. That’s really all it takes.

• Heart Tissue Paper Suncatchers
• Valentine Heart Paper Plate Wreath
• Love Monster Craft
• Paper Plate Bird Craft
• Paper Plate Love Bugs

There you have it—a simple Valentine craft that keeps little hands busy and builds skills without any fuss.

If your preschooler enjoyed this one, you’ll find more low-prep activity ideas throughout the blog. No complicated setups. No overwhelming supply lists. Just simple crafts that fit into real life.

Thanks for spending part of your day here. I hope you and your preschooler enjoy making something together.

Grab the craft tutorial here!