Every Valentine’s Day, my son (Little J) and I always make something together. Nothing fancy, just a little Love Day make that he can gift to the special girls in his life (Nanny, Grandma, etc.). It’s become one of those quiet traditions that means far more to me than I ever expected.
This year, we made lip balm. It was simple, creative, and the perfect mix of practical and thoughtful. And because this is exactly what Grace Makes That is all about, I wanted to share it so you can make it at home too.
Why Lip Balm Is Such a Lovely Make for Kids
This is one of those crafts that works beautifully with children. It’s simple and achievable, there’s a bit of magic involved (melting and pouring never gets old), it’s easy to personalise, and the end result is actually useful. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but just as lovely for birthdays, Mother’s Day, or “just because” gifting too.
What You’ll Need
This recipe makes 7–8 lip balm tubes per batch:
- 1 tablespoon Vaseline (petroleum jelly),
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil,
- 1 tablespoon beeswax,
- empty lip balm tubes,
- a heatproof jug,
- a saucepan with boiling water,
Optional for colour: unused lipstick (we used light pink, berry pink and red, which came out as a strawberry pink).
How We Made Our Valentine’s Lip Balm
Add the Vaseline, coconut oil and beeswax to a heatproof jug. Sit the jug into a saucepan of boiling water on the hob and gently heat until everything has melted, stirring occasionally. This took about two minutes.
To add colour, cut a small piece of unused lipstick (keep it hygienic, people), drop it into the melted mixture and stir until fully combined. We made four versions, three different pink shades and one plain balm with no colour at all.
Carefully pour the melted balm into lip balm tubes and leave to cool and set completely. Simple, quick, and very satisfying for Little J.
Keeping It Real
Of course, it wasn’t perfectly calm or tidy the whole time. There were spills, sticky fingers, and a moment where Little J asked if he could try some lip balm… and instead of using the bit he’d spilled, he swiped one of the finished balms that was meant to be gifted.
That’s real life.
Side note: he has since repeatedly used his lip balm and is now obsessed, so it must be good. I can also vouch for this, as he made me a couple too and I’m equally obsessed.
Making It Feel Extra Special
Once the balms had set, we turned them into proper little gifts. I helped Little J design some simple labels on the computer, then used my Cricut machine to cut them out. He loved sticking them onto the tubes and lining them up, ready to give out.
We also made lip balm holder keyrings to go alongside them. Mummy helped print these in different designs, and they finished the gifts off perfectly.
Why We Make Gifts Like This
I want Little J to understand the joy of giving as well as receiving. Each year, I ask him who he’d like to make gifts for, and his list always surprises me, it seems to grow every year.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about time, thought, and creating something together. The memories are also a bonus.
As Little J gets older, I know there may come a time when he doesn’t want to do this anymore, and that’s okay. But with Little R starting to understand more as he gets bigger, I can’t wait to begin making Love Day gifts with him too. And I quietly hope that Little J continues to be his kind, generous self and wants to keep making these things for the people he loves for a long time to come.
Because truthfully, this time is precious to me. The chatting, the creating, the moments spent side by side, they mean more to me than the finished gifts. I also love seeing his face when his girls are so touched by the little makes we do.
And when he’s grown up, I hope he looks back on these moments as fondly as I know I will, and already do.
Grace (& Little J) made this — now you can too.
