Homemade Valentines

A few days ago, I mentioned having a craft idea for homemade Valentines. I also mentioned if I actually completed said craft, I'd post about it.

Well, here you go!

I actually followed through and it's definitely a craft ANYONE can do and should try. It's easy, fun and almost-mess-free. Here's what you'll need to get started:

Chalk (Sidewalk works great; I found a 15-pack for under $5 at CVS)
A walled dish (cake pan, pie tin; something shallow, with sides)
Paper
A butter knife, spoon or other scraping tool
Water

You should have most of this stuff laying around the house but if not, it should all be easy to find and relatively cheap. All I needed was the chalk.

Marbleized Paper

Start out by adding enough water to your pan to cover the bottom. You don't need or want a lot of water because you'll have to change it frequently and you're just skimming the surface, not dipping.

Pick out a few different colors of chalk.

Using your knife or scraping tool, shave the chalk into the pan. You want a fine powdery mist, not chunks. Chunks will sink and go to waste. The chalk should float on the surface of the water.

You can gently stir the surface or just lay a sheet of paper on top.

Wait about 5 seconds then roll the paper off the water, being careful not to submerge it or smudge it.

If you choose not to stir, you'll end up with paper that looks something like this: a kind of spray paint/splatter effect.

If you do stir, you'll get a more "traditional" marble look like this:

Here's a look at the ones I made with this little demonstration. Phoenix and I made about 25 more for his actual Valentines. We still need to decorate them so we'll do that this weekend. I think we'll use crayons to write "Happy Valentine's! from Phoenix" and maybe get some stickers or something.

There are a million possibilities with this craft; in the making and in the use! This would be a great idea for any type of paper project; invitations, greeting or birthday cards, anything really. Hope you enjoyed this little craft idea! I certainly enjoyed doing it.

Little hands & tiny fingers

Even though I'm home with the boys every day, I'm often at a loss for ways to keep them busy that actually stimulate their brains. I admit I rely heavily on television & video games to keep me sane. I want to change that. I have NO excuse for not being more "hand-on"-- literally. I'm crafty. I can knit. I can sew. I can do all sorts of things.

Why don't I? Well because I can be pretty lazy & sometimes, those brain-stimulating activities can be anxiety-inducing as well. Have you ever tried to do any sort of crafting project with a six year old? A two year old? Things rarely go smoothly & instead of a quiet, fun-filled afternoon of memory-making you can easily (and very quickly) end up with a huge mess & two unhappy, uninterested children. Not to mention a mom who could probably use a stiff drink.

This weekend, things will be different. I will remember my promise to live in The Now. Monday is Memorial Day and that means NO SCHOOL which gives me plenty of time to fill. I started a Pinterest account & created a board, 'Kid Projects'. Maybe this will help me find things to do with them, even if it won't actually make me do them. At least it's a start; a small step in the right direction.

I have a couple things on the list already: home-made finger paints and fairy dust jars. Since I need glow sticks & some jars for the fairy dust, I tried the finger paint this morning. It's pretty easy to make, you just need to keep on stirring and don't let it get too thick or lumpy. I got it right on the second try & I used an ice cube tray instead of baby food jars; it worked great. We'll have oddly colored fingers for the next few days but it was fun. Phoenix helped me make the paint and add the food coloring.

This time, I had fun; I stayed 'present' and focused on keeping calm & being happy instead of expecting everything to go perfectly. While I still wouldn't say 'No' to a glass (or bottle) of wine, I don't feel like it's necessary to maintain my sanity. In fact, I'm already making plans for tomorrow. Maybe we'll try doing a "neighborhood" scavenger hunt or take a trip to the Dollar Tree for glow sticks & jelly jars; either way, I'm going to seize the day & make it a good one.

Happy Memorial weekend, everyone! Be safe, have fun & make some memories ♥

Two brothers, painting the day away!

"Didya know I'm a good painter? Yeah, like my Uncle Joel." ♥

Little hands & tiny fingers make the most perfect paintbrushes