By Candie from Candie Cooper’s Journal

 

Here's a project that's a conversation heart in its own special way.  It has been painted with chalkboard paints so that you can write and doodle your own sentiments.

 

You will need two wood hearts-1 sold and 1 filigree.  Paint each of the hearts with Plaid's chalkboard paint.  I chose old school green and black, but Plaids chalkboard paint comes in many colors.  Pick your two favs!  The solid heart will need the back painted as well.

 

Adhere the filigree heart to the solid heart with thick craft glue.  It helps to set a book on top of the layers to keep the pieces flat while the glue sets up.

 

Doodle on the heart with colored chalks.  Add small hearts, polka dots, scallops, stripes and more. 

 

Painting the back of the heart makes the chalkboard reversible!  How about cutting a heart from a small sponge to act as an eraser?

 

Now it's time to erase and repeat.  This would make a fun teacher valentine for sure!

By Candie Cooper from Candie Cooper’s Journal

 

 

It's that time of year where I find myself reminiscing about decorating valentine boxes and picking out tiny cards and stickers for classmates. Anyone else? Here's a treat idea that you can make with your child--perfect for passing out at school.

 

Use a die cut machine (Sizzix shown here) or draw and cut out many hearts--2 hearts should be large and 2 small. Mod Podge the small heart on top of the big heart and then again so they just overlap at the points to connect them.

 

Fold the hearts in half so they look like flapping butterfly wings.

 

Kids can use the Cool Shot glue gun to attach a sparkly chenille stem to the center of the butterfly.  

 

Use the cool temp glue gun to perch a butterfly on top of a small heart box. These heart boxes were found at the dollar store in a package of 10. Fill the box with your favorite treat. Small stickers would be good inside too!

 

For variety, some of the boxes have tiny felt leaves as well. Children and adults alike would love to have one of these fly onto their desk! Simple and sweet.

You know, you don’t always need to leave your home to find craft supplies. Often times they are lying around right in front of you. Take these cereal box Valentine holders. With this adorable project you can turn leftover cereal boxes into cute Valentine boxes. Julie Lewis created these holders, and they are very inexpensive and Earth friendly! Spread the love this Valentine’s Day by creating this project. Have your little ones take this to school to collect all their Valentine cards. Julie created this project with FolkArt paints. All the supplies you will need are below, and click here to see the instructions.

 

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Licorice, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Empty cereal boxes
Flat brush ½”
1 ¼” foam spouncer
Craft knife
Ruler
Brown craft paper
Red grosgrain ribbon
Assorted gems and glitter stickers
2 large red glitter stickers
Wood valentine appliqué
Pink and red chenille stems
Glue
Double sided tape
Scissors

Welcome back from the weekend. While you may not be ready for the workweek to begin look at this way, Valentine’s Day is one day closer. For the last week or so we have been showing some cute and easy Valentine’s Day crafts. Several of the crafts we’ve shown are cardholders. A cardholder is a must have item for kids to have, because while they are in school they receive so many of them. One of the best surfaces to use to create these holders is cereal box. Use a cereal box to create this super cute Valentine owl. Laura Bray created this adorable project using Mod Podge and several other supplies. This is a very simple project to create, and won’t take long at all to complete. See below for all the supplies you’ll need and to see the instructions.

 

PLAID Supplies

·       Mod Podge ® Gloss, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

Hot glue
Craft knife

Instructions

 

1. Cut off the top of the cereal box.

2. Using the box as a template, cut out paper to cover the front, back, and sides of the box. 

3. Using Mod Podge, glue all the papers onto the box.  Smooth out from the center to get eliminate bubbles and wrinkles.

4. Cut out embellishment pieces from cardstock and decorative papers into the shapes of the owl’s eyes, wings, and beak.  Glue pieces onto the box.

5. Further embellish with a skirt and bow if you wish.  Boys may want to add a bow tie to their owl.

6. Glue google eyes onto the paper eyes of the owl.

 

 

If your kids are just starting to explore their crafty side, you more than likely do not want to go out and spend a whole lot of money on craft supplies. Lucky for you, you don’t have to go out and buy new supplies. If you look around your home you probably have many items you can create with. Take this Button Art Heart designed by Mama’s Crafty Place. Some of the supplies used to make this project were buttons, left over tiles, and Mod Podge. This is a wonderful project for kids, and it makes for a nice piece of art to display around your home. To learn how to make this project with your kids click here.

Kids really love Valentine’s Day. On this day they receive all kinds of goodies. One of the things they get is tons of cards from their teachers and classmates. Instead of throwing those cards into a backpack why not have your little ones create this Frog Prince Valentine Card Holder? This cute frog is sure to bring a smile to both your face and your kids. Trenice Bishop, a talented freelance designer, designed this project using Apple Barrel and Mod Podge. It is a great beginner craft, perfect for kids to also do in an art class. A list of the supplies you will need are below, along with their instructions. Have you made a Valentine card holder before?

 

PLAID Supplies

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Black, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Gloss™ - White, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Parakeet, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Red Apple, 2 oz.

·       Apple Barrel ® Colors - Strawberry, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

Spray Primer
Garbage bag box
Craft wood pieces
Popsicle sticks
Paper plates
Wiggly eyes
Paint brushes
Water bowl
Hot glue

Instructions

1.    Spray box with primer. Allow time to dry. Paint the box with Parakeet. When dry Apply Mod Podge and set aside. Paint the inside of the box Black and the flap opening with Red Apple.

2.    Hot glue circle pieces to end of popsicle sticks for toes. Paint toes with Parakeet and let dry.

3.    Cut paper plates in a heart shape and cut the heart in half. Paint both sides of both halves with Parakeet allowing each side to dry in between painting.  Apply Mod Podge and set aside.

4.    Cut the crown shape out of a paper plate as well. Paint with Sunny Day. When dry apply Mode Podge Sparkle   Paint a heart shape and two small circles with Red Apple to decorate crown.  When the Sparkle Mod Podge is dry attach the heart to the center of the crown and the smaller circles to the outer points.

5.    Paint a small heart shape with Strawberry for the frog’s tongue.  Paint two large circles White for eyes.  Hot glue the wiggle eyes to the White painted circles when dry.

6.    When the box is completely dry, hot glue the heart halves (legs) to the front of the box and, hot glue the toes to the bottom of the box. Attach the crown to the box with hot glue, followed by the eyes. Hot glue the Strawberry painted heart to the flap.

There are staple craft surfaces that are never going to go away. One of those surfaces is a frame. Frames give us the possibilities to adorn our memories of our family and friends. This Valentine’s Day create this modern Heart Zig Zag frame made with Mod Podge. Amy Anderson from Mod Podge Rocks created this frame. It is so cute and puts a different spin on the traditional frame. To make one for yourself or to give as a gift to someone see all the supplies and instructions below.

 

PLAID Supplies

·       Martha Stewart Crafts™ 2oz Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint - Camellia Pink

·       Martha Stewart Crafts™ 2oz Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint - Pink Dahlia

·       Martha Stewart Crafts™ 2oz Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Craft Paint - Habanero

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Pure Gold, 8 oz.

·       Mod Podge ® Satin, 8 oz.

·       Mod Podge ® Dimensional Magic - Glitter Gold, 2 oz.

 

Other Supplies

Wood frame
Wood hearts – 1 large and 3 small
Scrapbook paper in the color or pattern of your choice
Paintbrush
Pencil
Scissors
Craft glue

Instructions

1.     Place your frame face down on the back of the paper and trace.

2.     Cut out the paper using the scissors and set aside.

3.     Paint the edges and back of the frame with several coats of Habenero. Let dry.

4.    Paint the wood hearts with the remaining colors (see photo for reference). Let dry.

5.    Mod Podge the paper to the frame. Use a medium coat of Mod Podge and spread over the entire frame. Smooth the paper down and let dry for 15 – 20 minutes.

6.    Add a coat of Mod Podge over the top and let dry. Add a second coat and let dry.

7.    Glue the hearts to the frame as shown using craft glue. Let dry.

8.    Add Dimensional Magic to the tops of the hearts and let dry overnight, keeping the frame flat.

9.    Once the Dimensional Magic is dry, place a picture in the frame and display.

Can you believe it? Another holiday is right around the corner, Valentine’s Day. Now while this holiday may not be on your mind yet, there is no time like the present to begin creating wonderful projects. Valentine’s Day is a great holiday to craft with your children. There are some many simple and fun love themed projects to make. Laura Bray recently designed a wonderful Valentine's Day project to make and preserve a memory. Create this photo transfer Valentine’s Day hoop. You will only need a few supplies including Mod Podge and the new Mod Podge Photo Transfer. Photo transferring is a hot new trend in the craft world, and it really brings your projects to life. Below find all the supplies you will need, and click here to view all the instructions.

PLAID Supplies ·       Mod Podge ® Matte, 8 oz. ·       Mod Podge ® Photo Transfer Medium, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Photocopy of your favorite photo(must be from a toner copier or printer)
White cotton fabric
Sponge
Foam brush
Red and white print fabric
Basic Sewing Supplies
Embroidery Hoop
Ribbon

Happy Valentine’s Day! On this day of love, you might be in need of just one more craft project to create. Here is an easy and simple craft that was designed by Cathie and Steve. Our crafty duo shows you below all the supplies and instructions you will need, to whip up this cute and easy Valentine’s Day treat.

 

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Hologram, 5 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Pink, 2 oz.

·       Mod Podge ® Matte, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

Clear heart shaped favor box, Bubble wand, Foam paintbrush, Scissors, Hot glue gun, Decorative paper, Wood heart, Ribbon or trim, Silk flower, & Rhinestone

Instructions

1.    Trace the lid of the box onto the decorative paper. Apply a layer of Mod Podge on the inside of the box lid and on the top of the paper. Place the paper inside the lid (print side should show through the lid) Press with your finger until smooth. Apply more Mod Podge as necessary.

2.    Paint the wood heart pink. Topcoat with 3 coats of Hologram Extreme Glitter. Allow to dry.

3.    Using hot glue, add trim around the box, the heart to the top of the box and a silk flower and rhinestone to the heart.

4.    Cut a piece of paper to fit around the bubble wand. Apply Mod Podge to the back of the paper, wrap around the wand and topcoat with a second layer of Mod Podge. Once dry, glue ribbons around the top and bottom.

 

By: Candie Cooper - (To see more crafts from Candie check out her blog, Candie Cooper's Journal)


This might be one of my favorite things I've ever made! Do you have a project that was easy to put together start to finish? For me, this was it!


You will need: unfinished wood heart, Folk Art Paint--Pink Balloon (I love that name too) and Christmas Red, Hologram Extreme Glitter, buttons, paint brushes, glue, and thick tacky glue. To frame it: a doily, Folk Art Dark Brown and a frame


Base coat the heart with Pink Balloon and leave to dry. Add a coat of Extreme Glitter Hologram and leave to dry.


Use Christmas Red to paint stripes around the border. I love stripes and they add a whole lotta whimsy to your pieces. Just a tip--keep you brush fully loaded with paint to keep them nice and bold.


Now for the fun part. Let the kids pick and glue buttons in the center of the heart. Anything goes here--go random like this heart or choose a color pallet like all red and white.
 
 
Use a thick craft glue like Elmer's Craft Bond to attach the buttons and leave to dry.


You can leave your heart as is or frame it. For this piece I painted the cardboard backing in the frame brown and cut a doily to fit inside the frame. Total cost for this was $5.50 at the second hand store.
 
 
Glue the heart with hot glue or two part epoxy on top of the glass. You can spell out a word or name with letter tiles and glue those too. Leave the frame flat while the adhesive sets up (don't be like me, not thinking and set it up right and panic when you see all the pieces sliding down leaving a trail of glue, LOL).
 
 
Placing the heart on top of the glass adds a nice layered effect that I like a lot. There are so many neat wood shapes and frames of all sizes---I know you'll come up with something fun!  XOXO!
 

Happy Monday everyone. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. With less than 10 days to go to Valentine's Day, the countdown to this day of love has begun. In case you are looking for a simple gift to have your kids make try this, I Love You Valentine Photo Frame. Create this quick and easy photo frame for your favorite Valentine whether two legged or four. All you will need to create this adorable frame are some FolkArt paint colors, along with some Extreme Glitter paints. This is a great gift to have kids create in class or at home. This frame was designed by Julie Lewis.

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Brilliant Pink, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Lipstick Red, 2 oz.

Other Supplies
½” flat brushTape
Silver sequins
Glue
Glittered wood applique
Clear acrylic gem
Heart frame

Instructions

1. Tape off top part of frame as show and paint Lipstick Red. When dry, apply several coasts of Red Extreme Glitter
2. Paint bottom section of frame Brilliant Pink.
3. Glue large and small sequins along line where painted sections meet.
4. Glue applique to frame and gem to heart.

Happy Monday :) . This is a great time of year to make cards. Not only are they simple craft projects to create, but you can get as creative as you’d like. One of the best gifts to give for Valentine’s Day is a lovely card. A designer of Plaid's, Sherri Ragsdale made this project. This cute, whimsical monkey card makes a great Valentine's Day greeting. See below for the supplies needed, and instructions on how to make this adorable car.

 

PLAID Supplies

·       Simply ® Stencils - Value Packs - Tween Girl

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Lipstick Red, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Nutmeg, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Brown construction paper, Pink construction paper, White cardstock, 1/8" red ribbon, Glue stick, White craft glue, Scissors, and Stencil brush

Instructions

1.    Stencil monkey onto pink paper in Nutmeg. Stencil the heart in the center with Lipstick Red. Allow to dry. Cut out monkey.

2.    Cut out a piece of brown paper 1" shorter than the length of the card. Glue to card as shown in photo using the glue stick. Glue the monkey to card.

3.    Cut seven uneven 1" strips from pink paper in different widths. Glue to top of card.

4.    Cut red ribbon the width of the card front and adhere using the white craft glue in between the brown paper and the pink stripes. Tie a bow and glue onto card.

 

In less than a month your kids are going to begin bringing home tons of Valentine candies. Don’t wait until the last minute to figure out where to store all these goodies. These Valentine Candy Boxes will definitely come in hand. Help create these boxes with your kids. They will enjoy making them, and you will enjoy having a place to store their candy. These adorable boxes were made by, Cathie & Steve.

 

PLAID Supplies

·      

     FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Hologram, 5 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Pink, 2 oz.

·       Mod Podge ® Matte, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

2 clear heart shaped favor boxes, Foam paint brush, Scissors, Hot glue gun, Decorative paper, Wood heart, Ribbon or trim, Silk or paper flower, and Rhinestones

Instructions

1.    Trace the lid of the candy box onto decorative paper. Apply a layer of Mod Podge on the box lid and to the back of the paper. Place the paper on the lid. Apply more Mod Podge to the top, press with your finger until smooth. Apply more Mod Podge as necessary. Smooth your brush strokes.

2.    Paint the wood heart pink. Topcoat with 3 coats of Hologram Extreme Glitter. Allow to dry.

3.    Using hot glue, add trim across the box, the heart to the top of the box and a silk flower and rhinestone to the heart.

 

Normally you may not think there are many recycled Valentine’s Day crafts. Well here is one you will definitely be amazed by. These Cereal Box Valentine Holders are so creative, and unique. Julie Lewis designed these. I could really see teachers creating these with their students. Kids would love this project. Not only is it a recycled craft, it is purposeful also. It’s a great way to store all your Valentine cards.

 

PLAID Supplies ·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Wicker White, 2 oz. ·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Licorice, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

Empty cereal boxes, Flat brush ½”, 1 ¼” foam spouncer, Craft knife, Ruler, Brown craft paper, Red grosgrain ribbon, Assorted gems and glitter stickers, 2 large red glitter stickers, Wood valentine appliqué,
Pink and red chenille stems, Glue, Double sided tape, and Scissors

Instructions

1. Carefully cut three sides of cereal box for lid with craft knife. Cut an opening for Valentines and poke two holes into top side of box for handles. Front of box will open from top and fold down.

2. Paint one Licorice and let dry.

3. Cut Craft paper to fit all sides of box and either glue or secure with double-sided tape. Cut and ‘X’ in opening for cards, fold paper to the inside and secure.

4. Apply Wicker White spouncer dots.

5. Cut length of ribbon for handle, or twist pink and red chenille stems together. Insert ends through holes and glue.

6. Cut lengths of ribbon for straps and glue around boxes as shown. Start at the top end of the front box opening and end at the front just even with card opening.

7. Glue embellishments and wood appliqué to box. Add large adhesive hearts to end of ribbon to close.

 

By: Candie Cooper (See more projects from Candie on her blog, Candie Cooper's Journal)

What do you get when you put two hearts together? Wings! And love, of course which is what these little Hearts a' Flutter Bugs are all about!


Here are the basic supplies, but you'll also need some Mod Podge, paint brushes, buttons, sticky dot magnets, pink paint and thick glue.

 
Paint each heart silver and then decorate in a variety of ways. One way is by sponge painting as seen here. I'm using the Martha Stewart sea sponges with Metallic Pink Folk Art paint. This is one of my favorite ways to add surface decoration because it's so easy!


These craft sticks came decorated like this, but you could always cover plain ones with scrapbook paper. I'm using love themed K and Co. die cut strips to jazz em' up even more. Look for them in the scrapbook section of the craft store and use Mod Podge to adhere them to the stick.


Another way to decorate the wings is with Hologram Extreme glitter. Oh yeah!


Or with the Martha Stewart pink glitter paint that I used in last weeks, "Sweet Heart Art" post. I put it around the edge and a little in the middle. Glue the heart wings to the upper half of the craft stick followed by two magnet dots.


Fold a pipe cleaner in half and twirl the ends to create antennae. Use thick or cool temp hot glue to attach to the back of the head. See the picture above where I added mini pom-poms and big sequins to the end of the antennae for more pep.


You can also add a few buttons on the wings. These bugs are easy going and perfectly ok being decorated with the extra craft supplies you have laying around. Glue two wiggle eyes and suddenly your Flutter Bug is alive and ready to fly, spreading love to all!

Decorated frames make for a great gift anytime of year, especially Valentine’s Day. Show the one you love how much you care by giving them a nicely decorate frame filled with your loved one. This Love Bug Frame was created by, Julie Lewis. Here is a great simple project that you can make with your kids. This Love Bug Frame also could be a great class projects for teachers to use with students.

 

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Red, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Lipstick Red, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Licorice, 2 oz.

·       &VALUE FRAME HEART

Other Supplies

½” Fat brush
1 ¼” Foam spouncer
Wood love bug appliqué
Glue

Instructions

1.    Base coat frame Lipstick Red. Let dry.

2.    Apply several coats of Red Extreme Glitter paint to frame.

3.    Create Licorice dots with spouncer.

4.    Glue wood appliqué to frame.

5.    Insert picture of your love bug.

 

Alone or together, this gang of love bugs will sweeten your Valentine’s Day! OMG! Have you ever seen a cuter Valentine’s Day craft? I would bet you haven’t until now. These love bugs were created by one of our very talented designers, Julie Lewis. With Apple Barrel paint, and styrofoam the possibilities are endless. You and your kids are sure to have a blast creating these love bugs. So adorable, and would make a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift. To learn how to make these, click here.

 

Add a little a sparkle to your home with this heart wreath. Great for family time crafting, and this makes a great Valentine’s Day gift. This wreath was created by Cathie and Steve. This is such a simple project, perfect for any age. Get out your FolkArt paint, and FolkArt Extreme Glitter to make this with your kids.

 

PLAID Supplies

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Red, 5 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Extreme Glitter™ - Hologram, 5 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Pink, 2 oz.

·       FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Lipstick Red, 2 oz.

Other Supplies

9 wood hearts
Foam paintbrushes
Ribbon
Hot Glue or tacky glue
Cardboard circle

Instructions

1.    Paint 5 of the hearts pink and 4 of the hearts red. Allow to dry.

2.    Top coat the pink hearts with 3 layers extreme glitter hologram. And, the red hearts with 3 layers of red extreme glitters.

3.    Glue 4 pink hearts to the center of a circle. Layer and glue 4 red hearts over the pink hearts. Glue a pink heart in the center.

4.    On the back, glue a ribbon to serve as a hanger.

 

Valentine’s Day is a great holiday for kids to craft. There are so many simple craft projects for them to make to celebrate this day. Take this Tissue Paper Valentine project. This is so cute and simple. All you need is some glitter Mod Podge, and tissue paper. See below for a full supply list, and instructions.

PLAID Supplies

·       Mod Podge ® Glitter - Hologram Silver, 8 oz.

Other Supplies

-Glass vase any shape – clean and dry
-1 sheet each of tissue paper in colors of choice (used on this project: pink; red; purple; silver)
-Scissors
-#12 flat brush
-Liner brush

Instructions

1.    Cut or tear tissue paper in small random shapes.

2.    Paint thin coat of Mod Podge onto outside of vase in a 6” square area.

3.    Place small pieces of random colors of tissue paper into wet Mod Podge letting them overlap slightly. Brush on Mod Podge over top of applied tissue. Brush more Mod Podge adjacent to the area just completed and continue to place tissue until vase is covered with tissue.

4.    Cut heart shapes from silver paper. Use Mod Podge to attach to project where desired.

5.    Use liner brush to apply Mod Podge around hearts and write “LOVE.”

 

Make this easy Mod Podge project with your kids for a special flower vase in a snap!
Learn how on You Gotta Have Art.

These beautiful Eric Carle inspired cards are easy to craft with kids. Why not read your favorite Eric Carle book and then create this fabulous Valentine's Day project? You can use Mod Podge, tissue paper and a few other materials. Thanks to Jessica of Art Smart for Kids for this project. Jessica blogs about art and education for kids and has many art and project posts. Click here to see all directions and photos for making cards. 
  

      

Make your own conversation hearts with felt and dimensional or fabric paint.