Classroom valentines for kids who love anything with wheels!
If your child is obsessed with vehicles—excavators, fire trucks, cement mixers, ambulances, and more—this homemade Valentine’s idea is perfect. It blends thoughtful DIY elements with a few purchased pieces, similar to the Hot Wheels–themed valentines many parents make. These gifts feel special without requiring a huge time commitment.
The outer boxes are adorable, but the real charm is inside: stackable, brick-shaped crayons that look like tiny LEGO bricks. Paired with a small handmade notebook, these valentines give kids something useful they’ll enjoy long after February 14th. Below I share materials, costs, and simple instructions for assembling these classroom valentines, plus a quick tutorial for making the tiny notebooks using items you likely already have at home.
Homemade Valentine Gift Idea
These are a great option for preschool valentines but elementary-aged kids will enjoy them, too. My son wanted a construction or car theme—anything with wheels—and I wanted to give his classmates something they might keep and use again. I try to avoid valentines that will be tossed immediately; this felt like a less wasteful, more useful gift.
Here’s how to make a thoughtful, fairly easy homemade Valentine that feels special without being exhausting to assemble.
Materials
Materials used for these classroom valentines:
- Small vehicle-themed boxes filled with brick-shaped crayons
- Printable construction-themed valentines (I bought a ready-made printable, but you can design your own)
- Glue stick
- String
- Thin cardboard (cereal boxes or similar)
- Paper (blank or lined; printer paper works well)
- Paint and brush, or paint sticks for less mess
- Stapler
- Small muslin bags (optional)
The boxes with crayons I used are sold by a company called Goober; they come in packs and vary in price depending on where you shop. I found a 4-pack on sale, which made each box slightly over $5.
Cost of Valentines
My final cost per Valentine was about $6, including everything I purchased. I already had many supplies—string, cardboard, paint, paper, and a stapler—so your cost may vary. I compared cheaper options that still included a small gift and found they were only about $2 less per child. Because Hayes’ class is small, I chose the cuter option. If you need to save money, you can DIY the crayons and simplify packaging.
How to Make These Classroom Valentines
1. Print and cut the printables
I printed a construction-themed printable and cut each piece out. Purchasing a printable saved time and produced a polished result, but you can create your own art or handwriting if you prefer.
2. Glue and add name plates
Glue each printable to the backside of a box and add each child’s name where the design indicates. Having a clear name spot makes distribution easier for teachers.
3. Make mini notebooks
I made tiny notebooks to include with the crayons so kids could use their new crayons right away. A short tutorial for these notebooks follows below.
4. Package them up
I initially planned to place each box and notebook into a small muslin bag, but I realized the teacher would have trouble seeing the names on the boxes when they were in bags. Instead, I made the notebooks small enough to fit inside the boxes. When space was tight, I reduced the notebook thickness and tied the boxes closed with string to keep everything secure. That’s why photos show two packaging approaches.
Make Your Own Brick Crayons
If you want to save money and enjoy a craft project, you can melt old crayons into brick-shaped molds. Brick molds or silicone molds shaped like tiny blocks are inexpensive and available at many craft stores. The DIY route takes more time but still yields a sweet, personalized result.
How to Make Tiny Notebook Valentines
To add a DIY element without a major time investment, I made tiny notebooks using materials I already had. These are quick, useful, and child-friendly.
Steps I followed:
- Cut thin cardboard from cereal boxes to the size you want for the notebook covers.
- Paint the covers on both sides—my son used paint sticks to add a fun, kid-made touch.
- Fold sheets of paper to match the cover size and nest them inside the folded cover.
- Staple along the fold to bind the pages into a simple notebook.
- If the notebooks need to be extra slim to fit in the boxes, reduce the page count accordingly.
This method is based on a simple DIY notebook technique and is adaptable depending on the materials and time you have available.
Final Thoughts
These vehicle- and construction-themed valentines combine ready-made charm with a little homemade love. The stackable brick crayons are a fun, reusable surprise and the tiny notebooks let kids draw right away. Whether you buy the boxes and printables or DIY the crayons and make everything from scratch, this approach balances convenience, cuteness, and practicality. If you have any questions about materials or steps, feel free to ask.