Valentine's Day

Every year my kids seem to receive a nice supply of Valentine's chocolates from their adoring grandparents. And each year I feel kind of sad (and guilty) tossing the cool heart-shaped boxes all that tasty candy comes in. This year I'm determined that we're going to craft a few things from the boxes. One of which will be this cute Candy Box Photo Frame tutorial posted on the Kodak site.

Even if at times you feel like ripping out your hair in frustration, it's pretty satisfying crafting special Valentine cards with your child. Yes, helping your kid really means you doing 90% of the work while he "tests" the candy...And yes, after 5 cards you're crying on the inside because you're only 1/4 of the way finished, it's worth it in the end. Your kid will be a hit with his peers and you'll earn a few envy points from your parent peers...Really, that's why we go the extra mile, isn't it parents?

Here are a few links to my favorite Valentine cards:

I never know what to do with all the Valentine's Day cards my kids, 3 and 10 years old, bring home from school each year. I don't have the heart to toss them out a few days after the holiday...A week later I'm cursing at damn cards which are now scattered all over the house. And I usually don't have the patience to do anything special with them. The most we've ever done has been to repurpose the cards into place mats. I just feel there should be more to do with the cards.

I heart this handprint valentine tutorial from Rebecca of Roots & Wings Co.. The project is simple to make (barring a paint phobia) and is a sweet idea sure to tickle the hearts of the grandparents or jazz up a bare wall. Plus it's super-fast so you can bring on the homemade goodness in no time flat. What's not to love about little hearts made with little hands?

(via Crafty Crow)

J Otto Seibold's Olive, My Love contains all the best things about the holiday... Love, hearts, friendship, adventure, chocolates and dogs. Such a fun Valentine's Day book we had to mention it twice!

Read more about this fun Valentine's Day story here. Happy Valentine's Day!

Being the mom of a 10 year old Guitar Hero World Tour rock god I really appreciate and love this guitar-shaped Valentine's Day card tutorial from Zakka Life's Kawaii Crafter. Nothing could be cooler and easier to put together thanks to the directions and printable template. Grab a bag of heart lollipops, turn up the iPod, print and rock out a batch of these babies.

Uber-talented, super crafty mama Chey Townsend, the woman responsible for this recon tot dress from men's shirt tutorial (awesome) has shared with Otterhop a fun Valentine's Day banner to make with your toddlers. She came up with the idea when she saw a banner her friend's kids had put together using a kit purchased at a chain store and immediately got to work on a homemade version to do with her own kids.

Aubrey from The Mother Huddle has shared her idea for making Valentine's Day lacing cards. This is a really great activity for toddlers because it hits some important developmental skills.

Recycling runty loser crayons into fun-shaped shiny new ones is always a great project to do with the kids when you're feeling like they could use a little lesson in conservation. And there are many ways to do it. When we upcycle our crayons we almost always use the microwave or stove top methods.

When my 10 year old son came home from school upset over being teased about his Batman backpack I realized I was now dealing with a full-fledged tween. I couldn't believe the kid who loved to dance down the street any time it rained belting out a chorus of "Singing in the Rain" spinning his Buzz Lightyear umbrella and twirling around posts would now be embarrassed by sporting a pack featuring the superhero he worshipped.