Candy, chocolates, and flowers are nice and all, but it's the notes and love letters that make Valentine's Day special.

When you're a kid, sharing handmade cards and tiny treasures with your classmates and friends on February 14th is such a special event. Decorating your own Valentine's Day boxes, writing heartfelt notes, and rummaging through your haul at the end of the day is what it's all about! There's no denying that this lighthearted holiday makes for some sweet memories for the little lovebugs in your family every time it comes around.

DIY upcycled egg carton caterpillars

The best Valentines are handmade and come from the heart, which means it's a good time to get your craft on with the kids! These DIY egg carton caterpillars make for some adorable Valentines while showing love to the planet, too. That's right: they're made from upcycled Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons straight from your recycling bin. Once you've cut out your caterpillars, a bit of paint and some googly eyes will bring them right to life. Don't forget to add a pipe cleaner antenna! After your caterpillars have dried, the sky's the limit: use mini heart stickers and glitter to transform them into lovebugs or keep them plain and help your little ones write notes to their Valentines in marker right on the paint. Here's how to make these DIY egg carton caterpillars, step by step:

Supplies:

• Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brush
• Mini cups, bowls, or mugs
• Scissors
• Hole Punch
• Glue
• Glitter (optional)
• Pipe cleaners in different colors
• Googly eyes
• Heart stickers (optional)
• Black marker

Directions:

• Cut egg cartons in sections of 4 cavities.
• Trim the edges using your scissors.
• Paint all four cavities using acrylic paint in the colors of your choice, then immediately sprinkle them with glitter, if using. Let them dry completely.
• Glue googly eyes to one of the ends of the caterpillar (this will be the head).
• Draw a mouth using black marker.
• Cut a piece of pipe cleaner and bend it to create a small heart for the antenna.
• Secure the antenna on the head of the caterpillar using glue.
• Punch holes on both sides of each cavity.
• Cut pipe cleaners in 8 small pieces for the legs. Insert them into the holes.
• Add mini heart stickers to bring the Valentine's Day theme to life!

Now it's time for the fun part: handing out these adorable lovebugs to classmates and friends and making sweet memories!

Did you create your own egg carton caterpillars? Tag your photos with #nelliesfreerange so we can see! Or click here to see our other fun afternoon activites you can enjoy with the kids. And don't forget to check out Twinkle Twinkle Little Party for more inspiration.