Jackson, who appears on our cover this month, made a simple Valentine heart using a pre-cut shape art-foam shape. The cut out felt letters were bought from Michaels. They have self-adhesive stickers on the back, but Jason added a bit of foam craft glue to keep them in place. They come on sheets with multiple heart and Valentine themed designs. Jason had a blast choosing the ones he wanted to use. It's an easy craft to do, but it's so much fun. Use a hole punch to add a ribbon and hang on the door for a great homemade decoration.
With thanks to Jessica Garris
Children love to express their love on Valentine's Day, so we have lots more fun, easy ways for them to share smiles, hearts, hugs and kisses with you!
I Love You T-Shirt
What you'll need:
- Heart-shaped foam stamps
- White or pink shirt, prewashed
- 3D fabric paint—red, white, pink, purple, light blue
- Wax paper
- Piece of cardboard
To make:
Tape a sheet of wax paper to a piece of cardboard large enough for your design. Place the shirt flat onto a hard, flat surface. Insert the cardboard into the shirt. This will protect the shirt from paint seepage.
Generously paint each foam stamp with fabric paint, alternating colors as desired. Press the foam stamp carefully onto the shirt and press down gently. Lift the stamp straight up into the air to remove. Personalize your shirt by painting the outside edge of hands (pinky to wrist) with fabric paint. Curve your hands together into a heart shape and press on shirt.
When you are finished stamping your design on, decorate the heart shapes with 3D or puffy fabric paint. Allow ample time to dry overnight before wearing.
Valentine Thumbprint Bookmark
This thumbprint heart bookmark is an easy craft perfect for school-age children. Parents will adore this, since the hearts are made using the child's thumbprint. What an excellent and easy gift for Valentine's Day!
What you'll need:
- Red and white cardstock or construction paper
- Red stamp pad or red paint
- Hole Punch
- Length of ribbon (red, white, pink)
- Scissors
- Designer-edge scissors
- Glue
To make:
1. Cut out two rectangles from the red and white cardstock, each 1.5 inches wide and 6 inches long.
2. Using your thumb, press it into the red stamp pad or paint. Then, depress your thumb down on the white cardstock rectangle, at a slight angle to form one-half of the heart. Then, overlap the first thumbprint with a second thumbprint to for the heart. See photo for proper placement. Using paint can be a bit trickier. Practice on scrap paper first.
3. Make four hearts down the center of the white rectangle.
4. Cut off the long edges of the white rectangle with designer-edge scissors.
5. Glue the white rectangle to the center of the red bookmark to frame it. Allow to dry.
6. Use a hole punch to punch a hole near the top. Thread through some ribbon and tie. Apply glue to the inside of the ribbon and attach the other side to it; allow the ribbon to dry with a clothespin holding it in place.
Picture Frame
What you'll need:
- Two sturdy cardboard rectangles: 5 x 7 inches and 4.5 x 6.5 inches
- Scissors
- White craft glue
- Puffy paint (red, pink & white)
- Picture (4 x 6 inches)
- Pink ribbon: 4 inches long, any thickness (I use ¼ inch)
To make:
1. From the 5 x 7 inch rectangle, cut a 3.5 x 5.5 inch opening, making sure to center the rectangle.
2. Glue the 3.5 x 5.5 inch rectangle to the 4.5 x 6.5 inch rectangle. Set aside.
3. Using the puffy paint, decorate one side of the 5 x 7 inch cardboard frame. We use a pink background, with white and red hearts. Allow to dry thoroughly.
4. Once the piece is dry, assemble the frame by placing the photo on the back side of the decorated frame.
5. Place the rectangle from step 2 on top, with the smaller rectangle facing down.
6. Tape the four sides of the rectangle.
7. Attach the ribbon in a loop shape with tape to form a hook.
Puffy Valentine Magnet
What you'll need:
- Scissors
- Construction paper
- Magnet strip (available at craft supply stores)
- Pink, white and red tissue paper, cut or torn into 1 inch squares
- White craft glue
- Pencil with an eraser
- Spray glitter (available at craft supply stores)
To make:
1. Cut out a heart shape from the construction paper.
2. Place the magnet on one side of the heart. Flip over to work on decorating.
3. Place the glue in the center of the construction paper, making a small heart shape (there will be three heart shapes total).
4. Using the eraser end of the pencil, place the eraser into the center of a white tissue paper square. Twist and wrap the tissue paper up and around the eraser.
5. Press the eraser with tissue paper onto the glue, setting it into place.
6. Continue this process until the small heart shape is covered with white tissue paper.
7. Outline a larger heart shape around the white heart. Continue with steps 4-6 using the pink tissue paper.
8. Upon completing the pink heart, line the rest of the heart in glue. Repeat the process from steps 4-6 using the red tissue paper.
9. Spray with glitter, and allow heart to dry thoroughly before hanging.
Bee Mine Lollipops
What you'll need:
- Yellow pipe cleaner
- Black pipe cleaner
- 1.5-inch square of construction paper
- Hole punch
- Lollipop
- Pen
To make:
1. Take the two pipe cleaners and tightly coil them up the pen, leaving 4 inches uncoiled.
2. From the end of the black pipe cleaner, finish coiling it tighly around the pen pushing it flush with the rest of the body.
3. Bend the yellow pipe cleaner to form the wings. I prefer to bend from the part closest to the bee’s body—over the tip of my index finger, under the tip of my middle finger and around the tip of my ring finger, tucking the end towards the body.
4. Punch a hole in the corner of the square.
5. Write “Bee Mine!” or “Mine” on it.
6. Slide the square onto the lollipop and slip the stick through the bee.
