This year my girl wanted to give store-bought Valentines to her classmates. *gasp*
Then I thought about it.
Sure. I don’t think I have ever bought them before in the 13 years I have been a parent, so we could do it this once. I started to think about the harm in investing $1.00 for a pack of 32 character-illustrated pieces of paper that make my girl oh so happy. None, really. And she chose Tinkerbell.
Fairies are fun.
I, on the other hand, needed to make something handmade, because to me, that is what love is all about.
That AND compromise. Right?
So we whipped up some of our most adored crafts (like here and here) to attach!
Oh I love these. There are so many decorating possibilities.
We punched holes in the hearts (using a straw) so her friends can hang them on necklaces, or hang them from their backpacks.
We also painted them with metallic paints.
Copper.
Silver.
Gold.
Falafel came up with this method of distressing the hearts by rubbing the paint off immediately to make them look like stones!
I think these may be my most favorite.
If you want to make these yourself, I have my Gluten-Free Salt Dough recipe to share. Because I love.
2 cups of gluten-free flour
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup water (hold some back and pour a little at a time until right consistency)
Roll flat on GF floured surface and use cookie cutters to make shapes. You can, at this time, imprint them with your fingerprints, or rubber stamps, or press them into molds (use your creativity here).
Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees. Flip them halfway through.
If they are still soft in the middle, I put them back in for 30 minutes at a time until hard.
Then paint. Or not.
{Ignore stubby unpainted unmanicured thumb nail that may or may not be mine}
They also look quite festive in red,
Take waaaaay too many photos {always optional} of these sweet hearts. You may find that you don’t want to stop.
In the end, Falafel is happy to bring her Tinkerbell valentines, and Mama is overjoyed at the time spent with her girl showing her that handmade can bring love.
Because it can. Both in the doing and in the giving.
What do your kids bring to school for Valentine’s Day? Handmade or store-bought?
***************
I’m linking to:
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
Salt dough is a lot of fun & it sounds like you had a good time doing these together. Can I ask is there any particular reason to make these gluten-free as they aren’t meant to be eaten?
Yes! Good question. I am highly allergic to gluten- and if I touch it, I rash:(
Came on suddenly about 4 years ago, now.
A lot of celiacs cannot even handle flour either, so GF for us!
You know, I was so interested I actually went & search gluten rashes on goggle. I never knew it could effect celiacs as a rash too.
Yes! I am not so sure how common it is, but it is amazing that it happens to me.
I grew up around gluten!
Ate it all the time.
The rashes it causes me are terribly itchy. UGH. So I avoid it in our home.
Our youngest is also allergic to gluten (but doesn’t rash). I think people with Celiac disease also use a GF play dough so that there isn’t any chance the child would react if they accidentally ate it.