Sweet Valentines!

Valentine’s Day Crafts

Fun recipes and crafts for your little Valentines!

 

Cake Pops!

We can’t get enough of them … rich and delicious and so easy to make! For Valentine’s Day, try making cake pops from Red Velvet cake. Just make any yellow cake from a mix, adding red food coloring to the batter before you bake in a regular cake pan.  Then crumble the cake, mix with a scoop or two of whipped cream cheese and roll into balls. Place a lollipop stick in each ball and dip in melted white chocolate, placing them on a tray lined with parchment or wax paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Then decorate with tiny red hearts or other frou-frou. Enjoy!

 

A Heart and a Kiss

 

Reader Jennifer Wolman, arts and crafts expert and mother of two, gives us the scoop on how to make Valentine’s Day extra choco-licious.

(Note: You might want to make sure your kids have a meal before playing this game, in case they stock up on too many chocolates!)

 

1. Cut out paper hearts. You choose the quantity and variety of colors!
2. Hide the paper hearts around the house. It might work best to hide them in places the kids would naturally go to search for them.
3. Once your kids find a paper heart, they can trade one in for a kiss. Here, they have two choices: they can either get a real kiss from Mom or Dad, or they can select a Hershey’s Chocolate Kiss.
4. There’s no limit, until the kids run out of paper hearts! (Of course, you can modify the game so they don’t have so much sugar.)

 

The activity “can involve the entire family if the spouse wants to get in … but in mine it’s just fun with the kiddos,” Wolman notes. “I’m a big heart lover, so oftentimes I’ll have my kiddos decorate paper hearts and hang them from the chandelier in our dining room. When I’m done, I use the hearts as part of my scrapbooking the holiday.”

Another idea is to decorate paper hearts and deliver them to friends and family in place of store-bought valentines.

It’s a great way to satisfy the sweet tooth and capture memories at the same time.

 

 

­­Create Your Own Valentines

Contributed by Ruth Klepach

 

Giving someone a handmade card can be a very special expression that can create a lifetime bond between the giver and receiver. Making cards with your child will do the same, while creating lasting memories and teaching the value of giving to others.

Cards that are personalized are especially nice. Be creative and use your imagination. The possibilities are endless. Cards can be as simple or complex as you want them to be.

Things you may need: scissors, glue, paper, paper heart doilies, pens, pencils, markers, stickers, adhesive letters, adhesive gems, ribbon, card stock, computer to type verse/clipart, and scrap wrapping paper.

 

Be Mine Valentine Card

Get a 4-inch white heart doily. Cut a 3-inch heart out of white paper. Paste it on the doily.

Cut out a bear with heart from wrapping paper. Paste it on heart.

Use computer to type the sentiments. Paste on heart.

Happy Hearts Day Card

Cut card stock to 6 1/4 inches x 9 inches. Fold in half (you can also get pre-folded cards).

Cut decorative paper to 6 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches. Paste.

Cut ribbon to 6 1/4 inches. Paste.

Place decorative adhesive sticker on ribbon.

Write or type a sentiment. Paste.

Think about writing a poem or verse inside!

 

Heart-Shaped Card

Cut an 8-inch heart out of card stock. Paste two 4-inch paper heart doilies onto the big heart. Apply adhesive stickers. Cut out clipart and paste on the hearts. Write/type sentiments and paste on heart.

 

Princess Card

Cut a piece of sparkling card stock to measure 6 inches by 6 inches. Cut corners so card will become octagon in shape. Get clipart/stickers and place on center of card. Write/type sentiments. Paste above and below pictures. Cut two, 4 1/4 inches of sparkly, velvety ribbon to the top and bottom of the card.

 

Lacey French Lace Doily Card

Get a 6-inch red heart paper doily. Paste on a 4-inch white doily. Paste photograph/picture and frame it if desired. Apply adhesive ribbon with sentiment. Apply adhesive letters and gems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under Crafts, From the Mag