4 VALENTINE’S DAY CRAFTS FOR KIDS

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, so we’ve pulled together a list of some of the cutest crafts out there for kids to enjoy (with adult supervision and help!). Any one of these projects would make the perfect gift for a loved one!

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VALENTINE MONSTER
Make soft, fluffy pom-poms using a DIY cardboard pom-pom maker. Great for kids to play with at home and easy enough to make in the classroom.

YOU WILL NEED
Scrap cardboard
Scrap wool
Scissors
Moveable eyes
Foam heart stickers
Pipe cleaners
Glue

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Draw the template shape onto cardboard and cut it out.
2. Wrap wool around the side of the template that has a gap in the middle until you have a plump lump of it.
3. While the wool is wrapped around your pom-pom maker, tie it very tightly in the middle.
4. Slide it off the end, turn it over and tie it tightly on the opposite side.
5. Cut the looped ends of the wool using sharp scissors.
6. You now have an untidy looking pom-pom. Hold it and trim the shaggy parts so it is nice and round-looking.
7. To make the craft monsters, we used pipe cleaners folded in half for the antenna. We took foam hearts and glued them onto the pipe cleaners, then glued them to the top of the pom-pom.
8. Also glue on the moveable eyes to finish off the monster’s face. Allow the glue to dry completely before picking the pom-pom up.



PRETTY HEARTS

YOU WILL NEED
Sheets of paper
Red, white and pink pom-poms
Assorted pink buttons
PVA Glue

INSTRUCTIONS


Pom-pom heart
1. Create your heart template by folding a sheet of paper in half and drawing half a heart shape. Cut around the heart and flatten the paper out.
2. Draw around your heart template in the centre of the other sheet of paper.
3. Apply glue to sections of the heart, adding pom-poms as you go.
4. Allow the glue to dry.

Button heart
1. Using your heart template from before, draw around the template in the centre of another sheet of paper.
2. Apply glue to sections of the heart and add different-sized buttons to fill the shape.
3. Allow the glue to dry.



HEART-SHAPED SUGAR COOKIES
The number of cookies this recipe makes depends on the size of the cookie cutter you use.

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 12 minutes

INGREDIENTS
280g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
170g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
150g granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavour outstanding)
Topping of choice, eg baking chocolate
Sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS

• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy – about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined – about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be relatively soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 Tablespoon more flour.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each onto a piece of lightly floured baking paper (or kitchen counter). With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about ½cm thickness. 
• Lightly dust one of the rolled-out doughs with flour. Put a piece of baking paper on top. Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top of that. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminium foil, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Once chilled, preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with baking paper. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with the 2nd piece of dough.
• Arrange cookies on baking sheets. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

VALENTINE’S DAY MOSAIC CARD
This heart mosaic Valentine’s Day card is the perfect combination of simple and stunning!

YOU WILL NEED
White cards and envelopes
Pencil and eraser
Kids’ scissors
Pink and gold glitter paper
Glue

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Start by making the heart template to create the hole in the front of the
card. Fold a piece of scrap paper in half, draw a half-heart shape along the folded edge with the pencil and cut the heart out. Open it out so it’s flat.
2. Using the pencil, trace around the heart shape onto the card front, then cut the shape out with scissors. Rub out any pencil marks on the front of the card.
3. Select a few shades of pink and gold glitter paper. Using your scissors, cut one strip of each colour to about 1 cm (accuracy is not necessary).
4. Taking the strips one at a time, cut into small pieces of varying lengths.
5. Glue the pieces onto the inside of the card so that when the card is closed the coloured paper strips can be seen through the heart-shaped opening.