Make a Little Love…

By Shannon Ford

Love is in the air…and I am feeling crafty…a big thank you to Pinterest for giving me the following ideas…

 

 

 

Cards

This is my son’s first year of preschool so I am super excited for class Valentine cards. After sifting through many homemade card ideas, the winner was the image on the left!

I printed wallet size pictures to staple to individually wrapped Peeps candy. It was super easy and inexpensive.

I also found a really cute card idea for grandparents using hand prints. Although the original uses paint, I decided to trace them for less mess. The original card with instructions can be found here.

Another cute idea is taking a photo of your child with an outstretched arm and cutting a slit in the photo to attach a lollipop.  (Photo on the right.)

For the Home

When I first saw the Sweetheart Conversation wreath on Pinterest, it was love at first sight! I had to try this. I purchased a 10-inch Styrofoam wreath, indoor/outdoor ribbon, conversation hearts, and tulle ribbon. I “hot glued” one end of the indoor/outdoor ribbon and wrapped the wreath until the ends met.  Then I glued the ends of the ribbon. (I used pink –  if you have a space that isn’t covered, it is less noticeable.) After that, I glued on the conversation hearts – one at a time. I promise it becomes therapeutic! At the end I simply tied the tulle ribbon to hang the wreath.

I also have a friend who frames a subway art print for every holiday and places it on her mantle. I always ooh and ahh…and she always tells me to just do it. They are free and a fun décor item for your home. See more here.

Recipes

You can start the morning filling those little bellies with love with a heart shaped cinnamon roll. The directions can be found here. I chose to leave out the food dye and go with the white frosting.

Since motherhood, my husband and I have celebrated Valentine’s Day with a special meal at home. Last year, I wanted to make a dessert that felt special without taking hours. I decided to make trifles in individual wine glasses. Use your favorite cake recipe. (I made the “lower” fat version of yellow cake. One box of cake mix and one can of pumpkin – mix only these two ingredients together and bake. I made individual cupcakes.) Then layer the following:

Crumbled cupcake, cool whip, toffee bits, raspberries; repeat. Then I drizzled the entire dessert with Kahlua to add moisture and flavor. Enjoy!

Words of Love

One of the greatest gifts that you can give your loved one is a letter to let them know how much you cherish them.  This is a great idea for a child, spouse, parent, or anyone who is special to you!  Read Rachel’s blog here for an example of what she did.

So what are you waiting for?  Time to get crafty!  If you would like more craft ideas, visit our “Crafts” page on TMoM, and scroll down for craft ideas for all ages.

And if you have a craft to share please comment below with instructions or a link!