Homemade Valentine's cards

We just aren't a card buying family.  When Jim and I were first married we looked at the 100s (maybe 1,000s) of cards we had received from the showers and wedding and realized that on average each card cost at least $2.  We could have eaten for months on that money.  :-)  I also like to be crafty.  I prefer crafts with a purpose or functionality.  Hence, if we send/give a card it is homemade!

The week before Valentine's day, Joel asked if he could do an art project.  I jumped on the opportunity because he rarely wants to be still long enough to create anything.  So, we made Valentine's cards for his grandparents (some of which I still need to mail).

We made 2 different types.  Unfortunately, I didn't think to take pictures of the process of making the "stain glass window" ones.  I started by folding a piece of colored paper in quarters to cut out a double heart that was connected at the top.  Next I cut out a piece of wax paper that would fit inside the double heart.  Then with watered down glue and a paint brush, I glued the wax paper heart inside the bottom of the colored hearts with the top heart lifted open.  Then, Joel placed squares of red, pink, and purple tissue paper on the wax paper.  We just painted the watery glue right on top of the tissue paper.  This is similar to how you would decoupage.  I found that the hearts looked best with the random placing of the tissue paper created by the 3-year-old!

Our supplies laid out on the table, with 2 of the stain glass hearts done.

After the wax paper was covered, we just closed the top heart down.

They look really neat when the sun shines through the window creating a stain glass effect.

The 2nd kind that we made used the inside hearts that we had cut out to make the 1st kind.  I crumbled tissue paper and glued it onto the heart creating a 3D heart.

This one I placed the tissue paper to create a design.

Here it is complete.

My sweet little Kirstin helped make this one.  She LOVED crumbling the tissue paper.  I just had to be fast to take it from her hand before it went into her mouth.  I think I prefer the random placement and mixed color hearts.

Both kinds of hearts and some left blank that could be colored on or finished later.

I like this project because both of my kids were able to participate in their own ways.  Joel loved picking up the pieces of tissue paper with various types of tongs.  He didn't know it, but that was a fine motor skill practice activity for him! :-)

We enjoyed talking about why we were making these during the process.  Joel was able to apply what we had read in a Valentine's book and make something special for people he loves.

Now I need to mail those last two envelopes.