Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Fun but messy Valentine's Day project for your Tot



So today my 2.5 year old and I have been having fun in the kitchen with a messy, sticky art 
project for Valentine's Day and I decided to share it with you! This is a great project for kids that like to get messy (ie. mud pies, play dough, etc....things that "squish") and is a great project for using up small scraps of yarn or ribbon. You could use this same project for Easter or for Christmas by changing the colors of yarn and the shape of the cookie cutters! For this project, you'll need:
  • 1 jar (only part of it actually) of Mod Podge or a bottle of plain white school glue
  • A bowl or plate you don't mind getting "gluey" (we used a paper plate with a rim)
  • A cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil or waxed paper (parchment would also work)
  • Cookie cutters in choice of shapes (we used hearts for Valentine's Day
  • Various scraps of yarn or ribbon in 1-2' lengths or shorter
  • If making into a card, you'll need card making supplies like cardstock, stickers, etc
  • If making into an "ornament", you'll need a length of ribbon or yarn for hanging your "ornament"
To start with, place your cookie cutters on your foil/paper covered sheet pan. Now, pour a puddle of your adhesive onto your plate/bowl. If using school glue you may want to water it down a bit since it will be thicker. Now comes the fun but messy part... Let your tot put the pieces of yarn/ribbon into the puddle and squish it all around! Make sure the yarn gets thoroughly coated in the adhesive mixture. Now, take the strands and run them through your fingers to remove any excess adhesive and then swirl into the inside of the cookie cutters on the cookie sheet. This is "artistic placement" so feel free to swirl and swizzle to your heart's (no pun intended!) content! Once you're satisfied with the number of strands in the cookie cutter, press down lightly to make sure the strands stick together and then lift the cookie cutter and move to another spot to continue making your shapes.  Allow to dry for several hours or overnight until thoroughly dried and stiffened. You can now make them into any number of things. Use them to decorate packages, as decorations on cards, as ornaments...the uses are endless! We're going to use them on the front of the Valentine's Day cards we send to her grand/great-grandparents! I'll post a picture of the finished cards when I complete them...



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