Valentine Crafts

As Valentine's Day draws near I find myself pulled by an irresistible urge to craft!  So, I indulged last year and this year in a crafting frenzy for my most favorite holiday.  Last year I ran out of time to blog about it so here is a run-down of both years crafts.

:: Heart Wreath ::

Using a box knife I cut a heart shape out of an old moving box

and then hot glued scrunched-up felt to it to make the red flowering look. Last year, this was David's favorite project ; ) Follow this link to see a process similar to what I used for this wreath

:: Hugs and Kissess ::
I bought wood letters from Hobby Lobby and wrapped them in yarn. Super simple!

:: Heart Collage ::
Using old scrapbook paper and a heart punch, I assembled a collage. This is my favorite project!  Note: I bought and returned three different punches before finding a good one. I recommend Hobby Lobby's 'Paper Craft' heart punch. Both Michael's and Archiver's brands were not sharp enough for cardstock. Bonus: Hobby Lobby's punch was the cheapest at $5 with a 40% off coupon.

This year, I worked on crafts one evening when D was out of town.  Of course, one evening led to one morning to finish it up-but these were fast projects. Plus, almost nothing beats watching You've Got Mail and crafting away in the evening!

:: pintrest-inspired button heart on painted canvas ::
I had a canvas in my scraps supply, and the acrylic paint.  I used scrap felt to make a heart shape and then hot glued a mix of red buttons to the felt which was then glued onto the canvas.  Tip: I glued buttons to the outer edge of the heart first, then moved in towards the center 'window-boxing' every other row of buttons.

per David: "I think that's the coolest thing you've ever done!"

my response: "Hum, I like it too... but THE coolest thing? " I decided to take it as a compliment.

:: mini love notes chalkboard::

I love all things chalkboard and a pint of chalkboard paint (from 2 years ago!) goes a loooong way. The board is an easy place for me to write a little note to D each afternoon. So far, we are taking turns writing something on it occasionally. The red writing is an erasable chalkboard marker so this board could easily transition to a menu board after Valentine's.

:: Satin Flowers ::

I made curled edge flowers out of fabric scraps. I plan to place them around the house for Valentine and Spring accents. I also like the idea of attaching them to cardigans, head bands, necklaces... I would wear a flower every day if I thought I could pull it off ; ) tutorial

Oh, and for the record...
I am not a crazy crafter for every holiday.  Nor do I think a house needs to be decorated for every holiday, or any for that matter.  I made these crafts because I really enjoy Valentine's Day.  I think I've liked it since I was a couple years old and my dad gave me a Cabbage Patch doll and balloons as a gift.  He also brought flowers to school when I was in 5th grade. To me, Valentine's Day isn't about having a special someone, but about celebrating love in whatever form it currently is in your life.   I like flowers and chocolates, but its more about knowing that people everywhere are receiving flowers and going on dates and writing each other sweet cards.  Anyhow, Happy Valentine's Day!