Valentine’s Day Tree

As soon as we ring in the New Year, I am ready to pack up Christmas and start anew.  It’s like a switch gets flipped inside of me.  I enjoy the Christmas season with the tree and all the decorations, but once it’s New Year’s Day, I am ready to pack it up.  I can’t pack it fast enough.

Undoubtedly, in my haste, something (or some things) doesn’t make it into the boxes.  This year it was a pencil tree and a new ornament my son received as a gift.  I had to come up with a plan to procrastinate climbing back up in the attic and find a box in which to store away these two stragglers.  There wasn’t much I can do with a Steelers’ Troy Palamalu ornament, but there was something I could do with the tree.  Seeing as how I don’t have a single Valentine’s Day decoration (unless you count the numerous elementary school foam and Elmer glue projects) and by the time I think about decorating for Valentine’s Day, it’s too late.  Not this year.  I have a plan.  I made a Valentine’s Day Tree.

It was quite simple to put together and I found all the supplies I need right here in my very own home.  I started by making the garland.  I painted little wood hearts red, pink, and white and then glued them to a strand of red and white twine.   I also found some folk art wood hearts, painted them red, embellished them with Red Stickles (glitter glue), and added some twine to hang them.

Next, I punched out several sizes of hearts using any pink, red, and white pattern paper on hand to make the ornaments.  In order to give them some substance, I glued four hearts together.  I would suggest punching out two white card stock and two pattern paper hearts for each ornament.  Glue the two white hearts together and then glue a pattern paper one to each side.  You can punch out smaller hearts in a coordinating pattern paper and glue them to the front and back.  Embellish each one with whatever you have on hand to add a little charm – glitter glue, gel markers, Glossy Accents (a dimensional , clear glue), or rhinestones.   Punch a hole in each heart and add some red and white twine to hang it on the tree.

For the top of the tree, I used a sticker.  I found the bird in a pack of puffy, fabric stickers I bought right before Christmas.  They happen to be on sale and I thought they were cute.  I had no idea at the time I would be using one of the birds for a Valentine’s Day Tree topper.

Take a look around your home.  If you have kids, you can probably find some supplies to make your own Valentine’s Day Tree.  Even though I poo-pooed foam crafts, foam can be a great base for heart ornaments.  To take the elementary school edge off of them, add smaller pattern paper hearts and embellish.

If you’re having trouble coming up with pretty pattern papers in your home or just need a few more ideas, try these out for size:

• Use fabric scraps to make a heart garland.
• Use fabric scraps and Heat ‘n Bond to make ornaments.  Fuse two fabric hearts together with Heat N’ Bond to give your hearts substance and a finished look on both sides.  Punch a hole in the heart and add some twine to hang it.
• Use felt to make hearts.
• Do you remember melting crayon shavings between two pieces of wax paper?  Do this and then cut out hearts for decorations.  Check out Skip To My Lou’s blog for a complete tutorial on how to do this.
• Look through old magazines.  There are always ads with red and white in them.  Strategically cut out the hearts and you’d never know they were from magazine pages.

What ideas do you have?  Ask your kids.  They always have wild ideas!  Tell us about them.  We’re here.  We’re listening.

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