Valentine's Day Crafting Extravigana!

So, it's Valentine's Day, and I'm exhausted.  You know how sometimes you have a "simple" idea that sounds so awesome in theory, then it turns out to be not as simple as previously thought?  Yeah, well that happens to me all the time, and this past week was no exception.

I have an adorable design for Valentine's Day lollypop holders in the shape of Conversation Hearts.  It seemed like such a simple plan.  I already had the design, and it would use up scraps of ribbon and fabric, so would cost me nothing to make.  Great, right?  Even better, when I made a couple of test hearts, I found that they would be a fantastic way for me to use up some really crappy embroidery thread.  The thread worked great in the bobbins, and I needed colored bobbins so that the back would look as finished as the front.  The only catch was that I would have to babysit the machine, because the thread twists, knots, and tangles so badly that it won't go through the machine without me manually holding it as it comes off of the spool.  It is time consuming, but very easy to do, so I thought it was no big deal...until after I had been doing it for hours on end.  I had somehow forgotten to take into account that since my daughter has also started school, and they are in the same class, that she would also be needing Valentine's this year, so instead of around 20 hearts, I needed to make 40 (44, to be exact).  Also, I did not start on hers until Tuesday, so I did all 22 of hers, plus the last couple for my son, in just two days.  Never again.  By the end, I had given up on my "using up the crappy thread" plan, and was using my good stuff (so I could leave the machine unattended), with the crappy kind in the bobbin, and just hoped that they matched close enough that no one would notice.

On the other hand, they did turn out really cute.

Dorothy's hearts.  The kids "wrote" little notes that I folded up and slipped through the button holes.  The school has a no sugar policy, so we couldn't send lollypops.  I thought about doing pencils or something else, but decided the notes were good enough.  The kids used stamps and markers to decorate the paper.  I wrote Dorothy's name on hers.

There are ribbons sewn into the top, so they can be used as ornaments or decorations of  some type later.

I tried to make some of Malcolm's more "boyish," but I'm not sure that it matters at all at this age.

They also needed some sort of box to collect their Valentine's in.  I saw this cute suitcase idea online, and stole it.  I used cereal boxes, specifically, Cracklin' Oatmeal boxes.  They were a good size that the kids could handle, but still wide enough to accommodate cards. 

Both boxes together, and full of Valentine's from their friends.  The hardest part was the construction paper hearts I wrote their names on.  I had to redo them three times because I made them too big to fit on the boxes.  The paper is just Christmas wrapping paper that is red and white and the ribbons were left over from when I made Dorothy a bow holder.  The handles were easily my favorite part.  The kids could carry them easily as we walked to and from school.  In the past, the boxes were awkward and difficult to handle.

Just Malcolm's box, a little worse for wear.  It got splashed with a little slush on the way home, and the opening got ripped a little getting cards in and out.

Dorothy's box also had a little trouble before we got to school.  She slipped on some ice and a corner got dented and some tape came undone.  She was fine, but she was worried about her box.  It was fine too.  I wiped off the slush, and pressed the tape back down, and it was all better.





Valentine's Day also happened to be our assigned snack day.  I wanted to something themed, but couldn't send any of the cute ideas I saw that included sugar.  I saw something similar online, but the centers of the apples were not filled with anything.  Dorothy wanted to take apples, so I sliced them into thick-ish rings and used the same cookie cutter to cut out cheese to put in the centers.  Many thanks to the very nice lady at the deli counter who sliced the cheese for me and didn't think I was a crazy person with my odd requests. 

How cute are these?  Both of my kids denied having any snack today though.  Malcolm assured me that lots of other kids had snack though.  OK, but why do you not eat it when it is something I make and that you request? 

Now, I am very tired and am going to nap for the next few days.