Love is in the air

Valentine's Day has always been a favorite holiday for me, even when I was childless, unmarried, and not even dating. It's one of the only holidays where you can get away with making handmade cards and little ditties for around the house, even if you're not very crafty.

So once again this year, I have plumbed the depths of my innerPinterest and have come up with a few projects to share with you.

A few weeks ago I found this "Christmas" tree on clearance at Kohl's. It normally sells for $39,95, but I got it for something like $6.99. I think it makes the perfect all-holiday family tree, so don't be surprised when you see it decked out for Fourth of July or Easter.
 



For Valentines, I've decorated it with little paper hearts on card stock. Some of the hearts have heart-shaped photos of our family. The 3-D pink hearts are from Dollar Tree. They were on long sticks which I broke in half, then twisted the branches of the tree around them.

    

Next up: V-Day Bunting. You guys, I am crazy about bunting. Partly because I have have the perfect wide door frame to hang it, and partly b/c it is so sweet and easy to make.

For the love of all things good and right, I can't find the original post I got this bunting pattern from. But I know it was on this website: http://thecraftingchicks.com/

I enlarged their bunting to fit my space, but the artwork is all theirs.

Ok, and now we're on to Valentines for Jack's preschool class. Rest assured, when we have 3 additional children, I am confident I will buy the boxed variety like every other busy mom. But really, these were pretty quick to make. And we only had to make 16.

I got this idea from FiveHomeHearts and actually borrowed several of her elements. I had to change the shape of the card because the bubbles I bought were a different shape than hers. (Hers were long and thin bottles; mine were short and squatty.) I also thought it would be fun to add some heart-shaped bubbles coming out of the word "Blow."

 I got these bubbles, which were 12 to a pack, for a couple bucks at Walmart.

Because the bubbles came in neon colors, I decided to go with this theme. I like this bold look for Valentines from a little boy. They seem more playful and less dainty/girly.

I started with 8.5 x 11" cardstock and printed two images per page.

I cut the paper in half and punched holes (using a pin and a pen b/c I can't find my hole punch) for the string that would hold the bubbles.

Then we threaded some red yarn through the holds, tied it around the bubbles, and folded the sides to make a built-in envelope.

Clear tape and stickers keep the valentine closed. 

Lots and lots of stickers.

Here is the template I used, in case you feel inspired. I took out my son's name, but if you want to add your own child's name, the "HeartlandRegular" font is a really fun one to use. Download it for free here.

 So there you have it friends. Pinterest extravaganza at our house. 

Wishing you a love-filled weekend!

Luann

Bunting Banner

There are times in your life when something radical has to happen. You have little or no power to change your situation, so you clamor to control whatever you can.

That's the situation I find myself in this week. I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not talking about our ongoing adoption journey, our marriage, or the the seemingly endless potty-training adventure we're on with our beloved three-year-old son.

And I hate to perseverate about the weather, but folks, it's not good here in Chicagoland. Today marks the twenty-eighth day of March...and I saw white stuff falling this morning. Sure it only lasted about ten minutes, but still. We started this month like a lion, and it looks like it may end the same way.

In effort to brighten the wintry mood in our home, I decided to make this:

Shabby Creek Cottage generously offered the bunting letters as a free printable. So I downloaded them, printed them, and cut them out. I used my portable paper cutter for the edges and old-fashioned scissors for the inverted-V bottoms.

Then I raided Jack's art supply shelf and found brightly-colored construction paper. I made backings for letters, glue-sticked them together, and then wondered how to hang all these letters.

I took to Google to find a solution. And Pinterest. In the end, I decided to use clothespins so I can reuse the letters for other occasions. I dug around in my sewing box, found a pretty lace trim that was just the right length, and  strung them all together on the kitchen floor. I fastened both ends to the door frame with teeny tiny nails that you can barely see, and voila! A springtime bunting banner.

If you want to make a fun banner for springtime...or a birthday, anniversary, or any other celebration, you can download these fun printables here.

If you make something, please send me a picture so we can all enjoy it!

 Thinking about Spring...
-Luann