In the spirit of mid-winter fun and Valentine’s Day, here are some crafts your family can make together — and most of the items you already have on hand around the house.
So, there is no reason to turn a day about love into another long to-do list. Just wait for some downtime, pull out the supplies, and jump into these simple crafts.
Put down a plastic tablecloth to make messy craft cleanup a snap. Crafts are listed from easy to complex, so you can make the best choices for your kids based on their ages.
Rainbow Heart Suncatchers
♥ Tissue paper scraps
♥ Clear sheet protectors
♥ Glossy Mod Podge
♥ Foam brushes
♥ Scissors
♥ Scotch tape
Cut tissue paper scraps into one-inch squares. Use a variety of colors (including red, pink, and white). Cut the edges off one plastic sheet protector and split it into two sheets. Spread one sheet for each heart with a thin coat of Mod Podge. Cover the page with overlapping tissue squares, using a bit more Mod Podge, as needed.
When you are done putting down tissue, cover the entire page with a thin layer of Mod Podge. Let dry overnight. Bend page in half and cut into one large heart. Sun-catchers will last longer if you leave them on the plastic sheet protector and tape them to windows (sheet-side-out) with transparent tape.
Seed Valentines for the Birds
♥ 1/2 cup boiling water
♥ 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)
♥ 3 tablespoons corn syrup
♥ 4 cups birdseed
♥ 3/4 cup of flour
♥ Heart-shaped metal cookie cutters
♥ Cookie sheet
♥ Parchment or waxed paper
♥ Drinking straws
Heat water to boiling in microwave in microwave-proof bowl or cup. Slowly sprinkle in gelatin, stir with fork, and let sit one minute. Add corn syrup and stir.
In large bowl, combine birdseed with flour. Pour a thin stream of liquid all over the top of the dry ingredients. Spray a large mixing spoon with nonstick cooking spray and mix until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Give it a light spray of non-stick cooking spray and also spray the inside of cookie cutters. Fill each cookie cutter with birdseed mixture, while inserting a short piece of cut drinking straw (or chopstick) all the way through each cookie. If birdseed mixture is sticking, use more cooking spray, even on hands. Then, push the seed cookie through the cookie cutter and onto the tray and let sit overnight.
Once dry and firm, thread the cookies with waterproof ribbon and hang outdoors where birds gather. Discard leftover seed mixture outdoors.
Glittery Mason Jars
♥ Mason jars
♥ Acrylic paint
♥ Glossy Mod Podge
♥ Foam brushes
♥ Cotton swabs
♥ Spray lacquer
♥ Tacky Glue
♥ Double-sided sticky foam squares
♥ Heart squares
♥ Real or battery-operated votives
♥ Blue painter’s tape
♥ Kitchen tongs
Glittery Mason Jars may be used as candle holders or as vases for real or artificial flowers. Use any size Mason Jars. If you want candlelight to come through heart shapes, adhere heart stickers or hearts made of painter’s tape to jar.
Wrap mouth of jar in blue painter’s tape to allow cover to screw back on. Paint entire jar with a layer of acrylic paint. While paint is still wet, carefully remove stickers or heart shapes. Let dry. Add a coat of Mod Podge, avoiding heart shapes, and add a liberal shake of glitter all over jar except on bottom. Clear stray glitter from heart shapes using damp cotton swabs. Let dry.
Spray entire jar with a generous coat of spray lacquer to adhere glitter permanently. Dry overnight. Adhere ribbon around the jar neck using Tacky glue. Affix bottom of votive with double-sided sticky foam and place firmly inside the center of jar using kitchen tongs. (Never leave lit candles unattended).
Every Pretty Things Garland
♥ Fabric or ribbon scraps
♥ Gift tags
♥ Doilies
♥ Baubles and tassels
♥ Felt ornaments
♥ Paper Valentines
♥ Tiny clothespins
♥ Hole puncher
Take a string of white lights. Then, go around your house in search of craft, birthday, and entertaining supplies, pulling out anything red, pink, and white that is heart-shaped, frilly, glittery, or pretty. Attach items using tiny clothespins or punch a hole and tie items on with ribbon. Tie snugly so items don’t slide. Hang completed garland up a stairway, across a mantel or hutch, or on a curtain rod. Unplug when not attended.
Embellished Jewelry Boxes
♥ Cardboard jewelry gift boxes
♥ Acrylic paint
♥ Glossy Mod Podge
♥ Foam brushes
♥ Tissue paper scraps
♥ Glitter
♥ Ribbon
♥ Magazine cut-outs
♥ Spray lacquer
♥ Tacky glue
♥ Leftover jewelry charms
♥ Stick-on embellishments
♥ Wire rack
Paint the box inside and out, as needed, or cover with Mod Podge and tissue cut into one-inch squares. Let dry on wire rack. Add a thin layer of paint or Mod Podge, magazine cutouts, another layer of Mod Podge, and sprinkle lightly or thickly with glitter. Let dry, tap off excess glitter, and then spray with a generous coat of spray lacquer to adhere glitter permanently. Let dry. Add embellishments using Tacky glue as needed. Let dry. Drying times will vary, but as long as you apply liquids in a thin layer, they will dry quickly.