Inexpensive DIY photobooth valentines (you still have time to make)

I’m typically not really a crafty person, but I do like making photo Valentines for the kids. I feel like they are more personal and a fun thing to save in their scrapbook, and I’ve managed to figure out how to make them on the cheap and without leaving my house. But on a more practical level, they tend to be easier to assemble than the store-bought variety, it allows me to avoid standing over 4 kids signing 25 valentines each.

A few years ago, I wanted to find something even easier, and that cost less money per Valentine than the store-bought variety. Cheap, lazy, and cute . . . this was my mission. I scoured Pinterest for some ideas and saw some cute photo-booth style valentines. I decided to try the same thing and they worked out really well. Here was last year’s result:

This has been my go-to method ever since. First, I grab my iphone and snap some pictures of each kid making different faces. This part takes about 10 minutes.

Then, using the diptic app, I create collages to make the photobooth strips.  I inserted the first photo collage I made, added a third photo to the middle row, and just put white at the bottom. I made sure the aspect was 2:3 because this will ensure the sizing is right to print on a 3×6 photo.

Then I took that saved photo and opened it in the Over app, and put a little Valentine’s message at the bottom of each photo strip.

After I save the photos, I uploaded them to Shutterfly and order enough for each class member. There are three photo strips per printed photo so they are really cheap! If you are pressed for time, you can send Shutterfly photos to your local CVS or Target and pick them up the same day. I also ordered a box of Airhead candies from Amazon (with 2-day shipping.)

Once the photos arrive, I have the kids cut them down, and then we tape each one to one of the airheads.

Prints at Shutterfly cost 15 cents, and each photo yields three valentines, so I’m looking at about 5 cents per valentine. Not too bad! And in all, taking the photos, making the collage on my phone, and sending the photos to Shutterfly took me about an hour.

Once cut, each valentine will look like this: