More Valentine Crafts

While my boys were not too interested in decorating for Valentine's Day this past weekend, I was. (Of course, if Star Wars legos had been thrown in the mix, I am sure they would have been more involved, but I have my lego limits.) However, I managed to get them to help with a few crafts for our home and to send to loved ones.

First up is a fun way to use up all of those broken crayons that collect throughout the months. These translucent hearts add a cheery dash of color during these blanched February days.

Begin by making 1/8 cup of wax crayon  shavings using a handheld pencil sharpener.

Second, fold a 12x12 inch sheet of wax paper in half, pour on the shavings, making sure they are evenly distributed, and crimp the 3 open sides closed so the wax does not melt out the edges.

Put craft paper under the wax paper and craft paper on top of the wax paper, iron lightly using the medium heat setting. After the paper cools, draw, or trace using cookie cutters, hearts on to the paper.

Cut out the hearts and string them up on a window where the sun shines in and Enjoy.

Our next craft was to make heart decorations using beeswax and candle molds.

Simply melt the beeswax, lay in the string to hang the ornament and pour in the melted beeswax half way up to the top. If you make it too thick, the sun light will not shine through the beeswax.

Your home will smell lovely as the wax melts and the sweet smell will linger on the ornament for weeks to come.

Using the soap molds once again, I made scented soap hearts with a hidden treasure inside. Most of them hold shells from our summer trip to the shore, but two special ones for the boys hold a lego man. (It will be many baths before those lego men can come out of the soap, so I am guarenteed to have very cleen children for several weeks. tee hee)

I thought of the last craft when I was pondering how to use my youngest son's watercolor paintings (During these colder days, when long hours of outside play is not always possible, painting keeps little hands busy.)

First, have your little one paint both sides of heavy paper. We use watercolors on 140 lb watercolor paper. When both sides are dry, cut it into 1 inch wide strips.

Fold the two ends in and staple the first strip to itself, forming a heart.

Linking the next strip inside the one before, fold it inward, forming a heart, and staple it. Repeat again and agian to make a heart chain that can decorate a mantle, cupboards or hang from a door.

Have fun crafting!