During a recent Fun In The Making Valentine Workshop, elementary school students designed and sewed their own love bugs using all recycled materials. -Sara, Madison, Molly, Katie and Jade (not in photo).

Students also made carved bark Valentines and used red branches from a dogwood bush to make hug and kisses ornaments (more on this in another post).

This is some of the awesome student work done at this workshop.

Kissing Love Bugs. How sweet.

Super Job Girls!!

A few years ago, my daughter brought home a piece of bark she had carved a design in. I liked the idea so much that I thought wouldn’t it be cool to carve a valentine out of a piece of bark. I like the way it makes you think of the sweet affections of youth carved in trees. However, I don’t really like the idea of scarring a tree.  They can be used in a variety of ways from napkin rings to Valentine ornaments.

You could also carve things like: T.B. + N.R., U R Sweet, Hot stuff, or Kiss me. I used a metal barbecue skewer to scratch out the letters. Bark pieces can be found on the ground around some pine trees or possibly around a log pile.

Napkin rings are made from a slice of a toilet paper roll with the bark Valentine glued on.

Hand carved tree bark Valentine ornament.

Leave a secret love note for someone special to find.

These love notes are carved into tree bark but not into living trees. 

Assortment of hand carved tree bark love notes.

This I heart you message was made to decorate a gift box top.

Make one for mom/ Dad/ Grandparents … My daughter gave out one for each of her classmates one year.

[This is a craft project that I developed a few years ago and I’m just now getting around to sharing –Best, Hester Jane]

Here is a child’s Valentine gift that does not include candy.

How To:

Collect empty milk or juice cartons; the kind kids get at school with their lunches. Then wash them out.

Cut out pictures of pea plants from old seed catalogs and paste them onto the outside of the milk carton/pot.

Add dry potting soil and drop in two pea seeds. Alternatively you can place the pea seeds in a mini envelope/ Valentine card.

Staple the top closed.

Save straws (optional) if doing this project for home. Don’t waste a new straw; reuse a straw that would otherwise be on its way to a landfill. The straw becomes a support as the pea plant grows taller.

Print Valentines or design your own.

Valentines for juice cartons

Valentines for milk cartons or seed envelopes

This clever little pink pouch was designed by an eleven year old (my daughter). She independently came up with the idea to recycle the bottom part of a pair of old pants to make a pouch/ bag.
This project is simple enough to do at a children’s party. Kids will love designing their own unique pouch.

This pouch could also be used to hold your Valentine card collection. Do you have a collection of special Valentine cards already started? They would fit nicely into a home-made pouch. My daughters each have a small collection of valentine cards that grows each year.

Add a strap if you would like to make this pouch into a purse.

I think a pant leg pouch/ bag would make a wonderful eco-friendly gift wrapper too: place gift inside.
I used the design of this pouch and took it a little further: See my post for instructions on how to make a jean sketch book pouch.

Send a Valentine message to someone special in your heart. This sweet gift will be a constant reminder of your love.
How-to:
A. Cut letters from magazines. You will find a great variety of fonts in all sorts of colors. Go searching for just the right ones. You may want to find all the letters in the same color or you might want the letters to be as varied as possible. Cut out the letters and make sure they fit on the tiles.

B. I used the tiles from a salvaged My First Rummikub game which was missing some of the pieces. Paste a letter on the front of each tile.

C. The magnets I used are promotional flat flexible magnets. (Promotional flat flexible magnets are often given out by businesses for promotional reasons, are usually business card size and are easy to cut.) This is a perfect use for those unsolicited magnets. Use scissors to cut a piece large enough to cover the back of the tile and glue it there.

See my other post for additional ideas and uses for tile magnets including using them as a teaching aid.

Make a sweetheart box from a valentine card you received (don’t just throw them away). Cards will make sturdy boxes but will often be tiny due to the limited size of the original card. Yet, what a nice memento. Alternatively, it would be nice for your child to give them to their special friends with a simple gift inside such as a home-made bracelet made with scrap yarn and a wooden bead.
A 4.5 inch square piece of paper yields a box top of 1 9/16 square inches and 13/16 inches tall.

How 2: See my post on how to make origami gift boxes: easy to follow photo instructions. They are easy enough for adults and older children to make. I hope you have been inspired.

Make valentine gift boxes from salvaged catalog paper and glue a vintage children’s valentine on top. You don’t have to use vintage cards, you can use a valentine card saved that your child brought home from school last year. Put something special in this small box and give it to your sweetheart. Maybe even tuck a love note inside.
An 8 inch square piece of paper yields a box top of 2 7/8 square inches and 1 7/16 inches tall.

How 2: See my post on how to make origami gift boxes with easy to follow photo instructions. They are easy enough for adults and older children to make.

Make sweet little gift boxes from a picture in a magazine, advertisement or catalog. You will find paper thickness will vary. If the paper is too thin your box will be too flimsy. If the paper is too thick then it will be hard to fold. You will have to experiment a bit here. Fill with candy or fair-trade chocolate and pass out to friends or give as party favors.
A 6 inch square piece of paper yields a box top of 2 1/8 square inches and 1 1/16 inches tall.

How 2: See my post on how to make origami gift boxes with easy to follow photo instructions. They are easy enough for adults and older children to make.