Happy Valentine's Day!

Tomorrow is January 14th, one month away from Valentine's Day, so there's no time like the present to start a few crafty projects for this auspicious occasion - and, believe me, it's all about the "present".  You can get away with forgetting a birthday, but forgetting Valentine's Day is a definite "no, no".  Here are some ideas to get you started:

 Mr & Mrs Valentine are easy to make.
You will need a Smoothfoam™ Heart for each figure, plus one 1" Smoothfoam™ Ball.  If you're not familiar with Smoothfoam™ you can find it in craft stores, or online at www.smoothfoam.com.  Unlike "styrofoam", it has a smooth surface like a coffee cup, or plate and is therefore easy to paint and embellish.  You will also need floral wire, sticky back white felt, or foam, red foam sticker hearts, google eyes (the ones with lashes for the Mrs.), red and black acrylic paint (I use DecoArt Americana paints), Elmer's Paper and Fabric glue, red glitter, ribbon for the bows, a dowel (Forster) and black chenille.

1.  Paint the heart red.  Let dry. Cover with glue then add glitter.

2.  Cut the ball in half.  Paint each half black.

3.  Cut or break the dowel in half - you only need about 5". Push one end of the dowel. Into the base of the heart (the pointy end) and the other end into a half ball - see photo.

Wrap this "leg" with a black chenille stem.  Cut 3 additional pieces of chenille into about 4" lengths for the arms and the other leg.  Insert one end into the heart - one at the base for the second leg and the other two in the sides for arms.  Push the opposite end of the leg into the top of the second half of the ball.

4.  Cut 4 "mitten" shapes from foam or felt.  Stick together over the ends of the "arms".

5.  Add bows and wiggle/googly eyes and a small punched heart, or heart sticker for the mouth.

6.  Create the heart bouquet by sticking small foam glitter hearts back to back over the ends of wire.






Heart Topiary:  Nothing says "I Love You" like flowers and hopefully like love, these are everlasting.

You will need a large Smoothfoam™ Heart, a large Smoothfoam™ Cube, a dowel, red ribbon, red sticky back glitter foam sheets, small white silk flowers and white and pink foam hearts.

1.  Cover the sides and top of the cube with squares of red glitter foam.  Embellish with foam hearts as shown.

2.  Use sequin pins (these are short pins in silver or gold) to attach the small flowers all over the surface of the heart.

3.  Wrap the dowel with red ribbon then insert one end into the bottom of the heart and the opposite end into the top of the cube at the center.  TIP:  Use a craft knife to make a slit in the foam first.

4.  Tie additional ribbons around the top of the dowel.


How easy and fun was that!  Enjoy!

Y'all come back now!

Yours truly,
Julie :)