In case you’ve missed the onslaught of romantic advertisements and storefronts festooned in glittering red hearts, Valentine’s Day is Wednesday. And if you have a special someone in your life, they might be hoping for a symbol of affection.
Don’t fret if you haven’t bought anything yet. Here are some ideas for do-it-yourself projects that tackle the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts: flowers, chocolate and jewelry. Many of the supplies you will need, you probably have in your home.
You’ll need: Paper (can be newspaper, magazines, or scrapbook paper), dishwasher-safe Mod Podge, ruler, paintbrush, scissors, toothpicks, waxed paper, plus string/wire and jewelry fasteners.
Start by sketching the pattern on the paper you are going to make your beads with. If you’re using a colored paper, do this on the reverse side. If you are using recycled paper, like newsprint, you can sketch with a colored pen, which will color the finished bead.
For rounded beads, mark every ¼ inch on the short side of the paper. On the opposite side, mark at 1/8 inch, then every ¼ inch (so 3/8, 5/8, 7/8, 1 1/8, etc.)
For oblong beads, mark every ½ inch on the short side, and on the opposite side, mark at ¼-inch and then every ½ inch.
Connect the dots across the page to form interlocking triangles.
Then, cut out the thin triangle shapes.
Protect your work surface with waxed paper.
Starting about a half inch from the wide end of the triangle, use the paintbrush to coat the bottom of the paper with Mod Podge. Then roll around a toothpick, starting from the wide end. Carefully remove the bead from the toothpick and let dry. Repeat for all strips.
When beads are dry, coat the exterior with Mod Podge to protect it from moisture. Let dry again.
The beads are now complete and you can use them to make bracelets, necklaces, earrings or keychains. Use the paper beads alone or mix them up with other beads.
You’ll need: Milk or dark chocolate and pink and red candy melts, silicone candy molds, piping bags and microwave safe bowl or double-boiler pan.
Candy melts have little “real” chocolate in them but melt easily without tempering. Simply drop into the top of a double boiler or a microwave bowl and heat following the instructions on the bag.
For the milk or dark chocolate, you’ll want to find a good quality bar to chop and melt. Heat to about 105 degrees for milk chocolate. Once you hit that temperature, sprinkle a few more chopped pieces of chocolate in. Let cool to about 80 degrees, then warm to about 86 degrees. Then pour the chocolate into the mold (or a small muffin pan) and let it harden.
When the chocolate in the mold is hardened, remove and lay out on waxed paper.
Pour the candy melt pink chocolate into a piping bag or use a spoon to drizzle over the pieces.
Once the chocolate is hard, package and deliver.
You’ll need: Scrap fabric, buttons, hot glue, embroidery floss and a sewing needle.
Start by cutting six circles of matching fabric; a jar lid works well as a tracing template.
Fold one circle in half, then in half again. Knot a thread of embroidery floss three or four inches from the end. Sew loosely along the raw edge of the fabric wedge.
Repeat for the next five fabric wedges, being sure to use the same stitch pattern along each piece.
Once all six “petals” are on the embroidery floss, tie the end of the thread to the tail you left at the start, pulling tightly.
Hot glue a button to the center, covering the raw edge of the fabric, then shape the petals and adjust.
The flower is now complete and you can either sew to an item of clothing, glue to a hair clip or glue to a green craft stick.