by Trenna Sue Hiler

Created on: December 26, 2008   Last Updated: December 27, 2008

Conversation hearts, those cute little Valentine candies, that are passed around schools every year are a great starter for any Valentine's Day Craft Projects. They are readily available and you can use the actual candies or just the idea to incorporate into Valentine craft designs.

>Young children love to wear hats and crowns of all sorts during a holiday event. Those who may not love them to wear like to use them as Frisbees, so they are a win, win craft.

*Cut out 3 inch hearts in every color of the rainbow.

*Have a prepared list of acceptable sayings to be put on the hearts. These can be pre-stamped and ready to glue on. If there is a lot of help available in the classroom or party adults can simply print the messages on while spending some one-on-one time with each child. Staple the right number of hearts of fit the head and you are done.

>When children make salt dough candy dishes they look very homemade and that's OK. Parents are required to save them forever! This pattern seems to help keep them a little more uniform and easier to display for a year or two.

*Gather the small size margarine containers, enough for each child.

*Make this simple salt dough recipe and put red food coloring in and there will be no painting later.

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup salt

1 cup cold water

several drops of red food coloring

Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Mix the food coloring into the water. Gradually add the water and mix to the desired consistency. Knead the dough and make sure the color goes through out. Add water if more is needed.

Divide the dough into smaller portions. Use a rolling pin and roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into strips. The children will roll these strips into ropes or snakes.

*Turn the containers upside down on the work surface.

*Put a flat layer of salt dough on the bottom of the container

*Now roll salt dough into ropes or snakes and coil them around the container, making sure you are covering the entire container

*This part is a little tricky. They often get it wrong. They want to push in the candy conversation hears upside down so they can be read when the dish is dry. Using the phrasing, pointed side up seems to help some. If they all turn out upside down the adult supervisor or teacher may want to add some going in all directions to help. Of if the child is happy with it that way, no worries.

>Everyone loves a picture of their little sweetheart and a conversation heart picture frame with a small picture can be a great Valentine.

The cutting part of this project is based solely on the age of the children doing the project. Using light cardboard, like the ones you may find as shirt folders cut out a solid heart for the back. Then cut out a heart outline so the picture can be glued in between.

Have the children color the heart outline and glue conversation hearts in any pattern they find appealing. Let it dry.

The adults assembles the frame with a picture. A small piece of magnet tape attached to the back makes it a simple fridge magnet. Or a separate magnet board in the family room is a great option to display works of art, magnets and such.

So have some fun crafting with conversations hearts. They don't taste that great anyway.

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