Heart wreath!

Paper Conversation Heart Wreath

By: Amanda Formaro

Difficulty: Very Easy

Age: 5 and up

This paper conversation heart wreath is a great project for younger kids. It's easy to put together and fun to display!

What you'll need:

• 9" dinner plate or paper plate
• Recycled cereal box or other thin cardboard
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Heart pattern
• Construction paper: pink, purple, red, and blue
• Markers, crayons or paint pens
• Glue sticks
• Yarn for hanger (optional)
• Pattern

How to make it:

1. Trace around the 9" plate onto the cardboard. (See photo.)
2. Use your pen or pencil to draw another circle inside that one, about an inch away from the outside circle. (See photo.)
3. Cut out the circle and the center of the circle to create a cardboard wreath base. (See photo.)
4. Fold a piece of scrap paper in half. Using the heart pattern line up the fold line of the scrap paper with the dotted line of the pattern. Cut out the shape so that when you open it, you have a heart shape. (See photo.)
5. Fold the short end of a piece of construction paper up about 3 inches. Place the folded heart around the folded paper and trace the half heart shape into the paper. You should be able to fit three hearts on the paper. Repeat this step for each colored piece of paper; you will have a total of 12 hearts. (See photo.)
6. Cut out all the hearts and flatten out the creases so that the hearts lay flat. Using markers, crayons, or paint pens, write conversation candy phrases on the hearts such as "LOVE", "HUBBA HUBBA", "SWEET", "LOVE", "BE MINE", "KISS" and "PAL". (See photo.)
7. Arrange your hearts on top of the cardboard wreath shape without gluing them down. Once you have them where you want them, use the glue stick to attach each one. (See photo.)
8. You can hang the wreath as is or attach a piece of looped yarn to the back as a hanger.

Tips:

1. Paint pens are available from your local craft supply store. 
2. Instead of construction paper, you can use colorful cardstock for this project.
3. Construction paper provides hours of fun and stimulates your child's imagination!

source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/paper-conversation-heart-wreath.html

Valentine's bear!

Foam Heart Bear

By: Amanda Formaro

Difficulty: Very Easy

Age: 5 and up

This cute little bear is made entirely from foam heart shapes just for Valentine's Day! It’s so adorable it’s almost unbearable.

What you'll need:

• 2 large pink foam hearts
• 2 medium pink foam hearts
• 1 medium red foam heart
• 2 small pink foam hearts
• White craft glue
• 1 red sequin
• 2 small wiggle eyes
• Black marker

How to make it:

1. Glue the two large pink hearts together with their points overlapping one another. (See photo.)
2. Glue the red heart to the center of the two large pink hearts.
3. Glue the two medium pink hearts on either side of the red heart, bumps pointing toward each other. (See photo.)
4. Glue the two small pink hearts to the bottom large heart, one small heart on each bump. (See photo.)
5. Glue a red sequin on as a nose and add two wiggle eyes. Use a black marker to add two small circles for the ears. Let everything dry. (See photo.)

Tips:

1. Add a magnet or a pin to the back if you like.
2. You can add toes with your marker as well.
3. Valentine's colors include red, pink, light blue, purple and white as well, choose whatever colors you like!

source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/foam-heart-bear.html

Valentine's bug!

Paper Love Bugs

Difficulty: Easy

Age: 4 and up

Parental supervision is recommended

You know those pesky love bugs that fly in the air? Here is a paper love bug that your kids will adore!

What you'll need:

• Empty toilet paper tube
• Pink paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Pipe cleaners
• Pen, maker, crayons, or pencil

How to make it:

1. Paint or cover an empty toilet tube with pink paper to make the body of the bug.
2. Cut two hearts from construction paper.
3. Attach these with tape or glue on either side of the body.
4. Encourage your child to draw a face on the top of the tube. Pipe cleaners make great antennae.
5. Write a cute message on the wings such as "Valentine, you make my heart flutter."

source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/paper-love-bugs.html

Valentine's hat!

Valentine Hat

Difficulty: Easy

This craft foam Valentine's Day hat wiggles when you move your head! Use green foam and a four leaf clover to create the same hat for St. Patrick's Day.

What you'll need:

• Red pre-cut adhesive-backed craft foam hearts in small (2) and large (2) sizes
• Red chenille stems
• Wire cutters
• Pen
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• White poster board
• Ruler
• Stapler, tape, or glue (to fasten hat together)
• Pink pre-cut adhesive-backed craft foam hearts in small size (optional)

How to make it:

1. Cut a strip of poster board to fit around a child's head and about 2" wide.
2. Determine where the sides of a child's head is by trying the band on. Mark with pen.
3. Cut red chenille stems in half using the wire cutters.
4. Glue the stems on the outside of the poster board where marked.
5. Glue a small heart over each of the chenille stems that are attached to the poster board.
6. Glue a large red heart at the other end of each of the chenille stems.
7. Let the children decorate using the remaining small craft foam hearts or any other decoration such as lace, stickers, markers, and crayons.
8. Tape, glue, or staple the hat closed to fit the child. (Paper clips also work)

Tips:

1. If you cannot find pre-cut foam hearts, buy regular sheets of craft foam and cut out hearts yourself.
2. You can use a cookie cutter to obtain a heart shape. You can use tacky glue, but it will need to set up overnight before wearing.

source:  

http://crafts.kaboose.com/kids-valentines-hat.html

Valentine's day!!! It is time to celebrate!

Handprint Poem

Difficulty: Easy

This is a gift for an adult to make with a young child. It's a poem with a handprint and an optional photo of the baby/preschooler.

What you'll need:

• Small child in play clothing.
• Print out of handprint poem (make extra copies).
• Optional small photo of child.
• Water based paints - finger paints or tempera paints.
• Bowl or something to hold the paint.
• Brush or sponge to apply paint to child's hand.
• Paper towels or some other way to do a quick cleanup!

How to make it:

Here's the poem for you to copy, format and print in your favorite word processor, or you can print out this version :

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls
But every day I'm growing --
I'll be grown some day
And all those tiny handprints
Will surely fade away
So here's a little handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small
Put a date here
Love, put child's name here

What to do:

1. Print the poem (make extra copies).
2. Apply the paint to the child's hand, then press their hand to the paper near the poem. This might take several attempts to get a good print, patience is the key.
3. Clean that little hand, before you get handprinted, too!
4. Personalize with the date and name (if it isn't already).
5. Let dry, then glue on a photo, if desired.

Puzzle Wreath Ornament

By: Amanda Formaro

Difficulty: Easy

Age: 5 and up

Parental supervision is recommended

If you have any puzzles that are missing pieces, they can be turned into fun craft projects! Take this cute wreath ornament for example. Turn spare puzzle pieces into a cute ornament for your Christmas tree.

For more activities, be sure to visit our main Christmas page. Don't forget to check out our Christmas crafts, recipes, printables, games, clip art andcoloring pages.

What you'll need:

• Puzzle pieces
• Green acrylic paint
• Colorful buttons
• Thin white ribbon
• White craft glue or hot glue gun
• Green glitter glue

How to make it:

1. Grab a handful of puzzle pieces (middles, no straight sides) and lay them out in the shape of a wreath. Overlap a layer or two until you have enough, put any remaining pieces back for another project.
2. Paint the puzzle pieces with green paint. Let dry and repeat for a second coat.
3. Paint dry pieces with green glitter glue and let dry.
4. Glue pieces together in the shape a wreath, overlapping to give your wreath thickness and strength.
5. Tie a piece of ribbon into a bow and trim the ends. Glue to the front of the wreath, centered at the bottom.
6. Glue buttons to the front of the wreath, varying the colors as you go around.
7. Glue a looped piece of ribbon to the back of the wreath for a hanger. 

Tips:

• Don’t throw away puzzles just because some of the pieces are missing. There are tons of craft projects that can be made from puzzles. You can also donate them to a local daycare or elementary school art department.
• You can substitute the buttons in this craft by using pony beads or other colorful beads. 
• If you don’t have glitter glue handy, spray the puzzle pieces with acrylic sealer spray so that the paint doesn’t rub or peel off.

source: http://crafts.kaboose.com/puzzle-wreath-ornament.html