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Monday, January 29, 2018

"Easy Valentine’s Crafts for Your Loved Ones!" by Alyssa S


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Hello! I’ll be showing you how to create three simple Valentine’s Day crafts that can be used for a friend, family member, or significant other. Here’s a quick glimpse of the three different types of crafts you can choose from:

#1: Jigsaw Popsicle Stick Photo


#2: Rose Lollipops

#3: Heart-string Plate Decoration



Remember: Simple gifts can go a long way and make an ordinary day special. Don’t forget to have fun while making your unique craft!

Craft #1: Jigsaw Popsicle Stick Photo
Supplies:

-       Popsicle sticks
-       Photo of your choice
-       Mod Podge (I used the “Glossy” Mod Podge in this tutorial)
-       Paint brush
-       Xacto knife
-       Marker or Sharpie
Steps:
1.     Print out a photo on normal printer paper. Make sure that the height of your photo does not exceed the height of your popsicle stick.

2.     Place as many popsicle sticks as you need side by side in order to match the length of your photo.

3.     Once the popsicle sticks are lined up neatly, glue on the picture on top by applying Mod Podge with the brush. Afterwards, paint on a top coat with the Mod Podge to seal your picture. Try and use as minimal and quick strokes when applying the Mod Podge to prevent the picture’s ink from smearing.


4.     After the Mod Podge is completely dry, flip the popsicle sticks over and write a message on the back (it’s easier to write while the popsicle sticks are intact and not loose). Be sure to write slowly, as the gaps between the popsicle sticks can be difficult to write over. 

5.     Once you finish writing your message, carefully use the Xacto knife to cut in between each popsicle stick and separate them. Make sure you cut slowly and evenly, as having jagged, uneven cuts can affect the photo on the other side.



6.     Scramble up the popsicle sticks and let the gift receiver solve the puzzle to find the picture. If you’d like, you can give the popsicle sticks tied up with a bow and then you’re finished!



Craft #2: Rose Lollipops
Supplies:

-       Pink & Red felt (if you don’t want to use felt, you can replace this with construction paper)
-       Hot glue/glue gun
-       Scissors
-       Lollipops
Steps:
1.     Cut the pink and red felt into several hearts (sized a little bit larger than the lollipop).

2.     Start gluing the hearts around the base of the lollipop, working your way around. You can alternate the colors or use a single color. Be sure to glue onto the paper part of the lollipop and not the actual sucker so the hot glue won’t affect the candy. 


3.     Once you finish the first layer of hearts, move your way outwards to create as many layers as you’d like. This will create the “rose” or flower-like shape.



Craft #3: Heart-string Plate Decoration
Supplies:

-       One sheet of printer paper
-       Scissors
-       Pencil
-       Paper plate
-       Hole puncher (with only one hole)
-       Pink and/or Red string
-       Tape
-       Mini clothespins (optional)
Steps:
1.     Using a sheet of printer paper, fold the paper in half and sketch half a heart. When you sketch your heart, make sure it is not bigger than the paper plate. Cut your outline of the half-heart to make a perfectly symmetric heart.


2.     Press the heart from Step 1 onto the paper plate and use the shape as a stencil, tracing the outline of the heart onto the plate.

3.     Leaving about a one-inch margin outside the outline, cut out the heart. With the hole puncher, follow the line used to trace the heart and punch holes along the line.


4.     Afterwards, connect each of the holes with string (your choice of color). Then, use a criss-cross pattern and loop the strings from hole to hole across the plate. The more random, the better!
  

5.     Once you are satisfied with your design, tape the excess string onto the back of the plate.
6.     Add a looped-string to the top, center-most hole to hang your heart as a decoration. Finished!

OPTIONAL STEP: Print out photos and attach them with mini clothespins to further embellish your craft. Extra points for memories!


I hope you enjoyed these little crafts, and hopefully the steps + pictures were easy enough to follow along with. Happy Valentine’s!
Alyssa

52 comments:

  1. These are all very cute and seemingly doable crafts for valentine’s day, ( i suck at arts and crafts) but i’m going to give it a try and hope they come out like these pictures!

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  2. Oh my gosh, this is so creative! Definitely going to try the paper plate one with my sister. Your instructions were clear and concise and the pictures provided an excellent visual to go with them.

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  3. Wow! I was actually wondering what I could make for someone for Valentines Day and I really loved your Rose Lollipop idea. It was a great original concept and the how-to was very simple and easy to follow. Overall, great job with this post!

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  4. Ok this has been my favorite how to blog by far just because you added pictures. And not only did you add pictures you had multiple ideas. I will be definitely be trying the popsicle one.

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  5. Great article Alyssa! Very informative and interesting gift idea especially with the holiday right around the corner. I liked how thorough an explanation you gave each craft that anyone could reproduce. I also liked that you included photos of yourself performing each step as you completed it which made your guide very easy to understand and follow.

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  6. Alyssa! I've been looking all over for cute Valentine's day ideas that aren't so cliche, but still homemade and meaningful. I absolutely loved all of your ideas and I will definitely try some this week for my boyfriend! Thank you so much for making the how to easy to follow, yet still including thorough directions. The pictures you included were also extremely helpful!
    Kayla Rangel P.6

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  7. Aw I absolutely love Valentine’s day and I love making things for my mans :’) These were such cute and simple things that I’ll for sure look to when Valentine’s day gets a little closer. Your directions were very easy to follow and descriptive. Good job!

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  8. Wow Alyssa this is such a cute and neat way to craft Valentines day gifts. I really liked the popsicle stick idea and the heart string idea. Your steps made it very simple and easy to follow. It was also very helpful that you included pictures of what was going on. I may try one of these ideas for the upcoming holiday
    Samantha Ehrlich Period 1

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  9. this is so cute! I love how you included pictures so even those who aren't to crafty like myself will be able to do this! I cannot wait to try the Popsicle picture one!

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  10. I am a huge holiday fan, I love doing and trying things to shed extra happiness on any holiday. I love giving my friends can bags, because I lack creativity and that is what is the easiest for me to comprehend. Your DIY has really simplified it where even the uncreatives of the world aka ME can try. Thank you!

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  11. This article is very informative and creative! I am definitely going to use some of these ideas for my friends. The pictures and the directions were really helpful. Great job!

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  12. This is a great blog which fits the time in which it is posted. I liked how you explained the steps very simply and concisely along with the pictures for demonstration.

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  13. Thank you for sharing these simple yet cute valentines day crafts. The instructions were very well written and easy to follow and the slight tips you gave in the instructions help to make it come out even more perfect. Everything from the supplies to the directions were easy to read and follow.

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  14. Wow this is extremely helpful and easy to give as a little gift to friends without spending so much money! The rose lollipop is such a cute idea and the way you described the steps makes me think I can actually do it. The heart string decoration was my favorite, I think I may just make it as a decoration for my room. Thank you so much for these cute and easy ideas !
    -Valerie Cortez

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  15. Alyssa! I didn't know what to make for my friends for valentines day and every year I'm always making or buying things last minute. These gift ideas are so cute and seem so easy to make. I'll definitely try making these this year. I loved how you added pictures to each step and how thorough yet concise you made the steps. Great job!

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  16. These are all so cute! Perfect easy ideas for Valentine’s Day in the simplest amount of steps to follow. The popsicle stick jigsaw is such a creative idea I may just have to try, good job!

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  17. breanna carrillo
    This is an amazing how to reading! Including your own pictures was a great touch to show how to do it step by step ,The jigsaw was a cute idea for anyone on Valentines! Maybe I’ll try it!

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  18. Mekka Johnson February 11,2018 at 11:11pm
    I loved how everything on here was sentimental. It appears as though you put a lot of thought into this. The steps were easy to follow while reading, and the pictures made everything much more easier to understand. My attention grabber is the fact that almost all of these materials are things I have in home. Great job and this blog is very beneficial but unfortunately I don't have a Valentine haha. I might even gift myself.

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  19. This is so cute Alyssa! Your crafts are so unique and easy to make. I love how customizable they are and how they require supplies you could find at home. Amazing Job!
    Mia Tolliver
    Period 1

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  20. Since Valentine's Day is approaching, and I still have no idea what to get Joey, your post is exactly what I needed to inspire me. I found the Heart-String Plate Decoration really cute and very simple to make. I enjoyed how you made these crafts yourself instead of posting pictures of someone else doing it. Some valentine's day crafts look incredibly simple, but in reality take some sort of superhuman to construct. I will definitely be considering these crafts for my Valentine's Day celebration!

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  21. I love these ideas, they're all so cute and meaningful! People always say that handmade gifts are the best, and if they have pictures on them, they're that much more special. I'm excited to try them out, thanks for the ideas!

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  22. Omg these are all so cute! Thank you so much for sharing these in such a simplistic manner; It is really appreciated coming from someone who is artistically challenged. The step by step as well as the pictures were a great addition and will be found extremely helpful. I will definitely be trying all of these this week!

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  23. I loved the popsicle idea, it is really ingenious since they are able to see the actual gift yet at the same time not and then are forced to figure it out and everyone likes a little puzzle from time to time. Very crafty!

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  24. I dig this creativity. Its also very tie convenient with valentines day just around the corner and me having no idea what to do for my boy lol! In general though I like the simplicity of the gifts you chose because you are absolutely right when you said "simplegifts can go a long way"

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  25. These D.I.Y. Valentine’s Day crafts are so cute!! And the instructions are very easy to follow and seem easy to re-create!! I’m honestly considering remaking one of these crafts!! Very creative !!

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  26. These Valentine's Day craft ideas are so creative and cute! I can't wait to try them for my friends. I especially like the rose lollipop idea. This how to guide is very helpful and festive for the holiday. Good job :)
    -Sammie Sandoval

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  27. Wow Alyssa, I really liked your creative use of actual photos in this how-to post and your extremely detailed explanation for each step. This blog post is unlike any other how-to I've seen before, so great job!

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  28. These are such cute gift ideas! The steps were very easy to follow and with the aid of your pictures it makes it even more comprehensible. I love that they're all easy to make and don't require so much material.

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  29. I really enjoyed reading this how to post! I liked how you took pictures to help show what each step is supposed to like, it makes the process of creating these crafts for my friends a lot easier and its also a good follow up tool to know i'm doing it right! Good job!

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  30. These are such cute gifts! I love that you put pictures to go with each step. The heart string plates are super cute ill have to try them for valentines day.

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  31. These are so cute! You made it easy for people to follow along with the pictures you added, which I liked. It doesn't seem like it cost much to make or take a lot of time, so I'll try these small gifts one day! Good job!

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  32. These ideas are so cute! You did an amazing job in putting detail into each of the ideas. My favorite was the jigsaw popsicle stick photo I thought it was so cute! I like how you added pictures for the steps because it makes it easier to follow.

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  33. Alejandro QuintanillaFebruary 12, 2018 at 5:59 PM

    I really liked the creativity behind these easy crafts that anyone can make, and they are a simple but meaningful gift anyone can make for their valentine's. The instructions are very easy to follow and the pictures help tremendously.

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  34. Absolutely a great way to celebrate your appreciation to loved ones on valentines day. These cute crafts can certainly go along way, I definitely enjoyed this how to article, good job on providing this for others to enjoy.
    -Sara Hernandez
    Per. 4

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  35. I loved your entry!! These are the cutest little crafts to give as gifts. You did a great job walking through each step, and your own pictures definitely adds in some more help!

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  36. Wow I loved this piece, such a unique and festive do it yourself project. I really appreciated how detailed it was, very easy to follow along by being descriptive and using images to help visual learners like myself.Great Job, super excited to try it out myself.

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  37. Wow I loved this piece, such a unique and festive do it yourself project. I really appreciated how detailed it was, very easy to follow along by being descriptive and using images to help visual learners like myself.Great Job, super excited to try it out myself.

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  38. I absolutely love this. You made the steps really easy to follow and it helps people who are trying to create last minute gifts for their loved ones. You did a great job!

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  39. I loved each one of the descriptions. I especially liked the jigsaw popsicle stick photo, but every one of them seem simple but very unique.

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  40. This is quite easily the cutest blog post I’ve read so far. I love how you were able to write something that was meaningful to the holiday but something that everyone could get onboard with. I also love that your post was unique compared to other posts making it stand out and catch the readers attention. The steps were so easy to follow and the picture directions were very helpful. This is definitely a project I would love to try out.

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  41. This how-to is very well organized and easy to follow! I love how you began by displaying the three projects before actually showing the steps because it makes it easier for the readers to find which one they want to make. The step-by-step instructions were easy to understand and the pictures helped to clarify each step! Thank you for such cute ideas, I'll definitely take them into consideration.

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  42. These are so creative and adorable! I love making gifts for people so I will definitely be trying these out! Thank you for these wonderful ideas! I appreciate how simple and easy this is to follow! Great job!

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  43. Thoughtful and simple, the pictures make the tutorial an even more easier way to follow. Great job on providing for not only one, but multiple gift ideas for the upcoming holiday.

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  44. This has a very professional feel about it with all pictures and step by step instructions. The little note that the end was a cute touch as well.The use of italics for emphasis also helped bring attention to important details and safety. I really enjoyed the almost conversational writing rather than more instructional. I think I might try to make some of these for my friends and family this Valentine's day, thank you for these cute crafts.

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  45. Honestly Mia, I am gonna steal these ideas hahaha. So simplistic yet thoughtful, thorough, and concise. It is elegant in it's simplicity, and it is definitely relevant to the time of year. Truly wonderful, great pictures, everything just is fantastic. Keep up the good work

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  46. This is such a simple and creative way to make someone happy!!! I think it is such a good idea. Making your loved one happy or anyone in that matter by just thinking of them is a fantastic idea.I especially loved the popsicle/picture craft.

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  47. This is so creative & cute! Absolutely perfect for valentine’s day! Thank you for giving us (me) last minute ideas for Valentine’s Day! Awesome job!
    - Eliana Rodriguez

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  48. This was very easy to follow and I can't wait to try a few for myself honestly. I like how unique the ideas were and how easy they would be to personalize for whoever they were for.

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  49. I love these simple and easy crafts! I am always looking for DIYs to make for gifts for my family and friends because they have so much thought and meaning behind them. These are perfect for Valentine's Day and I can't wait to try them out!

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  50. This entry was very cute and perfect for last minute Valentine’s day crafts. I am honestly going to use them for a little scavenger hunt i’m setting up for my friend tomorrow thanks for the great ideas and making it incredibly to make all of these crafts!!
    -Sara Perez pd.5

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  51. this was so cute!! i love all the ideas and the descriptions where very thorough. and the pictures helped as well. i can see you put a lot of effort into it

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  52. These were so cute and I can't wait to try some for Valentines day. Your explanation was very thorough and I liked that you added pictures as well.

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