Thrifty Scissors: Valentines

Showing posts with label Valentines. Show all posts

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Tear & Assemble A Simple Valentine Wreath


My daughter decided to make a rag wreath for her classroom from strips of fabric, a wire frame, and a bit of prefab trim. You may choose tear your fabric pieces randomly or in more uniform sizes. Cut each strip in approximately six inch pieces. Tie and knot these around your form adding more for a thick looking wreath or less for something simpler.

The wreath is trimmed with one heart made from galvanized metal and wood.

The fabric selection up close. Natalie chose red patterns
and white solids for her version of this easy wreath craft.
Her younger sister made a lovely bauble ornament wreath
for our home a few years ago; you can see it here.

Here is the wreath being made by Someday Mama.

You can click directly on the video to visit her

YouTube channel and see more simple, elegant DIY.

Monday, January 29, 2018

Our Family Memories Hang On a Valentine Tree

This pretty, pink, tabletop tree is usually found somewhere in my home during the month of February.
Valentine's Day has always been a sweet, nostalgic holiday because of the enthusiasm our
two girls have for it.

Above you can see our family's pink tree decorated with all kinds of handcrafted Valentines, hearts, and paper garlands. I will serve a Valentine's Day dinner with chocolate deserts and pink sugar cookies as usual and exchange love tokens with family members that same evening. Every year at least one person spends a bit of time writing some special letters, rhymes or verse to every person that will attend our dinner. No one person is ever left out of the celebration and you definitely needn't have a "love interest" to be given gifts during this holiday in our family!

Just right, you can see a variety of Valentine ornaments that my children have collected over the years. Scraps of paper lace hearts, stickers of cherubim, pink and red glass birds, vintage greeting cards and ornaments crafted to look like sweet treats all hang from the bubble-gum pink tree branches. Old lace table linens are used to wrap the bottom of the tree's trunk and an old-fashioned Valentine mail box, from school days long ago, is nestled under the tree waiting to be filled with secret notes and charming love tokens.

Below are just a few traditions our family participates in on Saint Valentine's Day:

exchange letters and cards
give small boxes of candy
talk about the qualities we appreciate in our family members
we spend time together watching films about love and romance
we often dine together either at home or in a restaurant on Valentine's Day
play board games together
craft cards/gifts for friends and extended family members
bake special deserts for each other

More Ideas for Sharing Valentine's Day With Family And Children:

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Draw Fun Valentine Cartoons!

"A Teddy Bear Mails A Valentine" (four steps)

Here are two fun little Valentine cartoons or process drawings for teachers to draw on a chalkboard or whiteboard at the front of the classroom. Students can follow the steps at their own tables using a pencil, eraser and coloring supplies. After watching and completing their own drawing give them plenty of time to color their drawings in and encourage them to add their own details.

This kind of drawing activity teaches students to listen and observe carefully and homeroom teachers can certainly use this method of practice drawing to teach additional lessons about shapes and sizes.

"A Valentine For Miss Hippo" (three steps)

Monday, June 2, 2014

Design and Craft a Sailor's Valentine

My "hybrid" sailor's Valentine craft for young students includes both real
and drawn seashells. I needed to develop a method for producing this
craft on a very limited budget for my classroom. This is the solution that
I came up with for next year's ocean unit.

A sailor's valentine is a form of shellcraft, a type of mostly antique souvenir, or sentimental gift made using large numbers of small seashells. These were originally made between 1830 and 1890 and they were designed to be brought home from a sailor's voyage at sea and given to the sailor's loved one or loved ones. Sailor valentines are typically octagonal, glass fronted, hinged wooden boxes ranging from 8" to 15" in width, displaying intricate symmetrical designs composed entirely of small sea shells of various colors glued onto a backing. Patterns often feature a centerpiece such as a compass rose or a heart design, hence the name, and in some cases the small shells are used to spell out a sentimental message.

Although the name seems to suggest that the sailors themselves made these objects, a large number of them originated in the island of Barbados, which was an important seaport during this period. Historians believe that the women there made the valentines using local shells, or in some cases using shells imported from Indonesia, and then the finished products were sold to the sailors.

In his book Sailors' Valentines, John Fondas concludes that the primary source for sailors' valentines was the New Curiosity Shop, located in McGregor Street, Bridgetown, Barbados, and a popular shop where sailors would purchase souvenirs. The shop was owned by the English brothers B.H. and George Belgrave. Fondas' research tells of a sailors' valentine reconstruction, during which the reconstructing artist found pieces of a Barbados newspaper inside the backing.

      Today, antique sailors' valentines are collectibles, valued for their beauty and unusual qualities. Collector interest has sparked a resurgence in sailors' valentines as an art form, and shell kits and patterns are now sold at craft shops. Many sailors' valentines, both new and old, can be found on Nantucket, Massachusetts. Wikipedia

      I adapted this paper sailor's valentine project for very young students by printing small black and white shells in advance for them to cut, color and then glue down into a pattern of their own choosing during our craft time for next year. My budget is very limited; I estimate that I will spend approximately 5 cents per student on this craft by the time it is finished. Teachers may, of course, glue real seashells to heavy weight paper plate alternatives if they live in areas where seashells are free and plentiful. I will glue a handful of scallop shells that I collected during a beach vacation to the middle of each child's plate to give them something from the sea to touch and view.
      If your students are much older than my own, first, second, third or even fourth; you may teach a similar project using larger paper plates, more real shells and a chart displaying types of seashells. In fact, this would be a nice project to incorporate into a unit about sea life/ oceans in a regular classroom. My teacher's sample on this post was drawn free hand. Students in fourth grade would certainly be able to create this kind of "doodle" challenge without the aid of cut and pasted design elements.

Craft Supplies:

small white paper plates
one real scallop shell per project
tacky white glue
a variety of magic markers
sheet of black and white seashells and scissors for young students (optional and included below)

My teacher's sample Sailor's Valentine drawn in black and white prior to coloring.

Left, I pasted a scallop shell down with white tacky glue before drawing my seashell design. I've estimated that I will not have more than twenty children to teach this project to next year, so I have already completed this step in advance for my own resources. Center, I drew my shell design first in black ink. Right, I then used pastel colored magic markers to color the shell design.

A few close up shots of the completed paper Sailor's Valentines. I will staple a black ribbon to the back side of the paper plate in order to hang this project on the wall.

Small seashells for pattern making. I will print and cut these out in bulk for my preschool
students to paste into their Sailor's Valentines. Teachers may wish to do likewise for
their younger students.

View More Sailor's Valentines:

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

"You Take The Cake!" Valentine

I have included below four little cupcake templates that teachers and students may work with in order to craft some sweet enticing valentines. Two of the patterns are designed to fold and tuck beneath the top half of the iced cupcake. Therefore, you must paste one icing cap on top of another but leave approximately 1/2 inch of the cupcake top free of glue.

The bottom two patterns simple fold in half and open as a typical card. The third card pattern illustrated shows that the lower half of the cupcake card folds in half and on the fourth option, the entire card top and bottom fold in half.

When assigning cupcake cards to older students, 3rd - 5th grade, include all of the steps involved with the card craft. This would include the cutting and tracing of the stencils as well. For students younger than second grade, teachers may wish to cut and paste the cards together in advance so that the children will only need to decorate the cards and write their own sentiments.

The Valentine cupcake on the left is trimmed with a red lace doily and the one on the right is cut from fancy paper. Teachers may wish to use this little assignment to emphasize shading while encouraging students to color their icing caps.

Left, the cupcake cards are open to show how these will look when the bottom half of the card is unfolded. Right a close up of the doily used to trim the cupcake Valentine.

Cupcake pattern with a very exaggerated, fluffy icing for young students to decorate.

In this version of my cupcake Valentine cards, I have decided to decorate the extra fluffy icing with a variety of rhinestones, glitter, textured papers, shading and an oreo cookie.

This cupcake pattern also requires that an additional fluffy icing top be pasted down to the front side of the card, leaving approximately 1/2 inch of the icing cap unglued at the bottom edge.

Below you can see that what the card looks like when it is open.

Students love to use all kinds of scrap papers for this project: comics, wallpaper, wrapping paper, fuzzy or furry fabrics, stickers, lace etc... Let their imaginations run wild!

My third pattern includes a strawberry ready to topple over the side of the large icing cap. I've included both a strawberry and a heart shaped cherry on the pattern sheets for young students to incorporate in their own interpretations of this Valentine project. On the left, I have used a figured scrap paper for the cupcake liner instead of drawing and shading the liner shown on the right. This card craft may be modified according to the abilities of those students you are working with.

General Supply List:

markers and colored pencils
construction papers: browns, white, pink, red and green
decorative Valentine papers
white school glue
scissors
glitter
a variety of textured papers

On the left, decorative paper was selected for the liner of the cupcake Valentine. I selected construction papers both in a dark, chocolately brown shade and in tan, to mimic caramel, to trace and cut the cupcake tops from. Don't forget to add the seeds to your strawberries with a fine line black permanent marker.

This little Valentine cupcake card is the simplest of them all. It opens from side to side. It also include a heart shaped cherry on top!

Above, First sheet of two, four cupcake Valentine templates by Kathy Grimm.
Below, Second sheet of two, four cupcake Valentine templates by Kathy Grimm.

Bakery Crafts & Art Projects for Your Valentine:

Vintage Cake Valentines:

"Hello Sugar, You're Sweet Be My Valentine" card

Sunday, January 26, 2014

"You're Sodalicious Valentine!"

The phrase used on the ice cream Valentine above, ""You're the cream
of the crop," My little cherry on top!"

Fourth and fifth grade students will be sure to delight in these ice cream treats! I've included a few of my free patterns below for teachers to download, print, trace and craft these valentine cards.

Teachers may adapt the processes in producing these cards according to the abilities of their students and the availability of supplies. For example: the waffle pattern on the cones may be colored by hand, as I have done, or students could find a similar surface pattern and do crayon rubbings on top of construction paper in order to mimic the cone's surface. Students could also use combs or brayers to apply dark brown paint to a lighter shade of tan paper in order to create an interesting 'waffle' design as well.

I chose to hand color some of my the ice cream but it would look just as nice with layered and torn papers. Perhaps even glitter would lend a nice effect for the final finish to these fun ice cream cone Valentines? Use your imagination and have fun!

These ice cream, waffle cones are hand colored to look
like actual waffle patterns.

Additional Sodas and Ice Cream Valentine Cards:

More Ice Cream Heart Cards for Kids To Make:

This ice cream valentine reads, "You Melt My Heart, Valentine." Both Valentines open up to reveal large, bright red hearts.

Two variations of patterns for ice cream cone Valentines. Cut multiple scoops of ice cream according to tastes
and two hearts per student: one in brown paper, the second in red or pink. The dashed line indicates a "fold"
on the heart shaped waffles. Look to the photos above for assembly.

The above ice cream looks as though it has come from a pump, unlike the ice cream above that has been
scooped. Some folks prefer 'soft served' ice cream and some prefer their ice cream hard. No matter which
you desire, these little ice cream patterns are sure to please!

Sodas and Ice Cream Valentine Treats:

Vintage Soda Fountain Themed Valentines:

"Mmm - You're 'Sweet' Be My Valentine Please!" ice cream cone
Valentine card

"Need a Valentine? Soda" card

"Gee Whiz Valentine You 'Melt' Me, Please Be Mine" ice cream cone card

"To My Valentine, Oh You 'Smoothie' Let's Be 'Sundae Dates!" ice cream in a dish Valentine.

"Valentine It Will Be The Last Straw - If You Don't Say Yes!" card

"You're the Sweetest Thing I Know! Be Mine" Valentine Card.

"Meaning No 'Monkey-Shines," Valentine! I offer you choice of peach or vanilla and
that oughta prove I ain't no "Gorilla"!" Valentine.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Craft a Paper Candy Posy for Your Valentine

Make a variety of chocolate candy posies with these pretty little paper valentine blooms. All you need is:

white glue
a variety of decorative papers
chocolate candy kisses and chocolate candy hearts
green markers and green construction paper for the leaves
scissors
patterns for cutting and tracing

Cut these patterns, and trace around them onto red, pink, and white papers. Then paste them together in layers to make the blooms. Glue the blossoms to wooden dowels. Use the green markers to color the dowels and then cut and paste on green paper leaves.

These little paper flowers with chocolate candy kisses were made from a variety of cut paper designs. Layer one on top
of the other and paste them together!

Posy patterns for the project; click on the image to
download the largest version.

The chocolates were pasted to the paper hearts. The stems are made separately from corrugated cardboard hearts and
wooden dowels that were glued inside of the ditches of the corrugated shapes. I can slip these Valentines on and off
of the stems if I choose, instead of giving away the entire floral stem.

Far left, chocolate hearts pasted on Valentines and mounted on 'stems.' Middle, stems for posies before these were painted
and the leafs applied. Right, some of the chocolate hearts can be removed from their stems, some of them can be taken
along with the stems.

Finished candy kiss flowers with decorative stems.

More Paper Posy Valentines:

More Floral Valentines Project Ideas:

"Apple Of My Eye" Valentines

The "Apple of My Eye Valentine" card.

On top you see three white apple shaped interior pages and two red
exterior apple shaped pages. Below, left, half of the apple is glued on
to the other, leaving a section open to insert the interior white apple
pages that have been previously folded.

This little tutorial for Valentine's Day was created for those of you who still like to handcraft your own cards and letters. If you are looking for a special Valentine pattern for your classroom teacher, this is a classic prototype. I have also included here the origins of the first "apple of my eye" references as well. Also view a few vintage versions of similar cards (below) from American publishers over fifty years ago.

Materials You Will Need:

white glue
scissors
red, brown, green, and white construction paper
black pen (preferably permanent ink)
pattern
heavy cardboard
a stapler
googly eyes (tiny)

Step-by-step Directions for the Apple of My Eye Valentine Card:

Download and print the pattern for the "Apple of My Eye Valentine."
Cut the pattern shapes out and trace these onto heavy cardboard.
Trace around the smaller apple shape three times. Cut out at least three white pages for the interior of the card. Fold these in half and set them aside.
Cut two larger apple shapes in red, yellow, or green for the exterior of the apple card.
Glue the two red shapes front to back on only one half of the apple. see picture, right.
Now take the folded white interior apple pages and staple these together along their outside edge to form a kind of a pamphlet.
Then glue the outside pages of this little pamphlet into the open leaves of the red apple card. You may like to write a message on these. I have chosen to write mine on the outside of the card.
Now trace and cut out the worm shapes from green paper.
Glue the worm's head on the outside of the front part of your Valentine. Glue the backside of the paper worm to the lower outside, back half of the Valentine card.
Now look carefully at the interior white pages and approximate where it would be best for the worm's body to be threaded through in order for both ends to appear as though they are attached. Cut a hole through all of your Valentine's white interior pages at this point.
Now you will need to weave together to strips of paper that are cut to an approximate width similar to the that of the worm pattern. You will only need about five inch lengths of two colors. One strip should be green and the other white or pale pink.
This art teacher, Mr. Lundgren, demonstrates the accordion ribbon fold technique in his video, that I used in my card. He has made several excellent videos for art students and visitors may access them here.
Now glue the accordion folded ribbon into place after threading it through the hole. Hold the two ends firmly in place until the white glue becomes a bit tacky.
I have also drawn on the pattern sheet a stem and an apple leaf for you to trace and cut. Glue these onto the outside of your card at it's top.
Add details to the worm, leaves, and stem with a thin tipped, black permanent ink marker along with an expression: "You are the apple of my eye," or "An apple for the teacher," or a scripture, all of which are listed below. I also glued tiny googly eyes to my worm for character.


I have cut a hole, left, large enough to insert my accordion folded ribbon. I will "guesstimate" where to glue this in order to make the interior ribbon look as though it is a natural extension of the worm's body.

Here you can see that I have inserted an accordion woven ribbon through the worm hole and glued it in place. The worm now looks as though it has eaten through the pages of my Valentine apple card. Below it a link to an art teacher who demonstrates this simple accordion paper folding technique in a video.

Pattern for the "Apple of My Eye" Valentine Card.
Click on image to download the largest file.

Where does the expression "Apple of My Eye" come from? The phrase "Apple of My Eye" comes from the Bible. It is first mentioned in Deut. 32:10 “He found him in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye,"and then Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings. . . Proverbs 7:2 also includes the expression, "Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye," and lastly in Zech. 2:8 "For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye."

More Apple Inspired Valentines:

Vintage Apple Themed Valentines:

"Of Core-se You Know You're the Apple of My Eye!"

"You're the "Apple" of my eye Dear Valentine!"

"You're the APPLE of my eye . . . Please be my Valentine! card

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Assemble Hershey Kiss Bouquets for Valentine's Day

Assembled Hershey kiss bouquets for Valentines Day. These are both simple and beautiful.

Hershey rose bud wrap process.

A Hershey Kiss Rose Bouquet for Your Special Valentine

Who wouldn't love to receive one of these lovely Hershey Kiss bouquets? The first one shown on the left is a bit more complicated to assemble than the second pink one.

My red rose bud bouquet is assembled with eight bright red kisses, red cellophane, squares, red masking tape and four green wire stems. You could use green chenille stems for the project if you'd like but I prefer the wrapped thick wire stems because these are much sturdier. Gently mask together two candy kisses with their flat sides together. Then use a second piece of tape to wrap the tip of a wire stem to the 'rose bud'. Bend this slightly so that the rose stem is beneath the tip of the kiss bud. Then wrap the cellophane over the top and down on all sides of the entire rose bud. Tape this in place by wrapping the thin piece of red masking tape around the end pieces of cellophane. (see photo on right)

I then wrapped a few stray green silk leaves around the rosebuds together with a green chenille stem. Then I folded a single piece of green tissue paper, corner to corner for the finished looking bouquet, just as I would do for a real bunch of long stem roses. Tie off the final product with some natural looking twine. Add a few touches; like a fancy tag or a Valentine card to your chocolate candy kiss bouquet.

More versions of this craft may be found:

A short video showing the process

More Hershey kiss crafts and treats:

More faux rose bouquets for a special Valentine:

The finished chocolate rose bouquet wrapped with natural twine.

A closer look at the candy kiss buds.

Try wrapping the candy kisses with different colors of cellophane too.

I chose pale pink carnations for this assembled candy bouquet.

Craft A Candy Kiss Carnation Bouquet for Valentines Day

This Valentine bouquet is even simpler to assemble. All you will need for this craft is a few stems of silk carnations, craft tape, tissue paper, a 'cool' glue gun, twine or ribbon and a candy kiss for each silk flower's center. Glue the candy kisses at the center of each silk carnation. Then wrap the stems together with a bit of tape. Fold a piece of pink tissue corner to corner and wrap this around the floral stems attractively. Add the twin and a card or tag to finish this quick and simple Valentine gift.

This project took me less than five minutes to assemble!

Pages