valentinesdayisforfamily.pdf

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ink, red, lavender and white are the colors of Valentines Day.  Let them be your guide as you make decorating for Valentines Day a family affair.

There are so many decorating ideas that can get the kids involved.  Here are several for you to consider or vary as needed to make them your own!

Front door and windows:

Cut out heart shapes of varying sizes and colors.  This is the perfect opportunity to instruct your young crafter about scissor safety.  Young ones should be using blunt end scissors, and need guidance and time to master the fine motor skill of cutting. 

Show them how to fold a piece of construction paper so both sides of the heart will look the same! 

Then, have your child glue three hearts together, one on top of the next.  Encourage him or her to use different color combinations for the three heart decoration.  The finished hearts can be taped to your front window or door as a very special welcome for visitors.

Valentine Heart Streamers:

The same hearts can easily be made into a Valentine mobile.  Cut a length of white ribbon and make a loop at the top.  Take two of the larger hearts you’ve created and glue them together, anchoring the ribbon between the two.  Measure down six inches and glue two smaller hearts in the same manner.  Repeat this process until your mobile is the desired length.  Hang your mobile from a ceiling hook and your child will be delighted.

A Paper Valentine Chain:

Your child could also help create a chain to decorate the mantle or staircase.  Cut six inch lengths of pink, red, and white construction paper.

 Have your child help you staple or tape the first piece together and then loop the next piece through. 

Continue in this fashion until the chain is the desired length.  Use it in all sorts of places like over windows, over the family message board, even on the refrigerator to add a little Valentine joy! 

 Valentine’s Day Magic:
Want to create a little Valentines Day magic?   Cut out a large heart from white construction paper.  Have your child write a special message in white crayon, being sure that he presses down on the crayon very hard.  Next, using tempera paint, paint the heart red or pink.  Watch your child’s excitement as the message appears as if by magic.

Valentine’s Table Setting:
Valentines Day is the perfect day to surprise your family with a special dinner?  To start, make a no-sew pink, red, and white Valentines Day table cloth.  Measure the length and width of a plain white tablecloth.  Cover your table with the tablecloth.  Cut four or five pieces of wide red ribbon to the length measurement and lay them across the length of the table.  Cut twelve to fifteen pieces of one inch wide pink ribbon to the width measurement.  Lay the pink ribbons at regular intervals across the width of the table, weaving them through the pieces of red ribbon as you go.  Try using a variety of red and pink ribbons for an even lovelier look.  

To set the table, purchase large red dinner sized paper plates and smaller pink salad sized plates.  Lay the pink plate on top of the red plate using a paper doily between the two plates.  Wrap the dinner utensils in a white napkin tied with a pink bow, tucking a silk red rosebud under the bow.  Add fresh flowers as a centerpiece to complete your Valentines Day table.

That’s just one idea, but mainly it’s easiest to just use what you have on hand.  I have red and white placemats, red chargers, white plates and red napkins. 

I rummaged through my daughter’s scrapbooking papers and found a couple that I could use for the napkin rings…

…and the place cards. 

The candy centerpiece was easy and the streamers took just minutes!

Sweet Valentine’s Endings: 

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o end your dinner with hugs and kisses, why not try some “X” and “O” cutout cookies?  Or maybe you’d prefer pink heart shaped cupcakes?  Add food color to a white cake mix and mix according to the directions.  Make the cupcakes as usual, but before baking place a marble down the side of the muffin tin between the tin and the cupcake cup.  This will make heart shaped cupcakes.  Decorate your cupcakes with red and white frosting and pink sprinkles.  Or try our heart shaped treats recipes in the Food section!
 

Valentines Day is a celebration of love.  Why not show your family how much you love them by creating a special Valentines Day celebration.  Who knows?  Maybe it will become a family tradition. And today we can use as many new family traditions as we can get!

Shari

 
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