Nifty & Thrifty

 Valentine’s Day and homemade cards just go together like chocolate and flowers.

They are a tradition that melts my heart.

I am a confessed card saver.

I have saved every Valentine’s Day card since I have been married.

For the love of crafting, I have encouraged my children to create homemade valentines each year. I must say we have never purchased valentines for a classroom exchange. My children eagerly await the pink and red cardstock and the lovely heart doilies. Oh, and let’s not forget the glorious glitter.

With Valentine’s Day quickly flying in on cupid’s wings, we needed to get our ducks in a row or our hearts in order to come up with some fun, easy, and inexpensive valentine creations.

Visions of sugar danced in our heads as our thoughts went as straight as an arrow to the candy aisle. Pairing hearts and candy together equals a marriage of crafting loveliness. Here are some treats that won’t break your budget but will leave a sweet taste for the recipient.

Attach a witty message to your favorite candy for a sweet Valentine’s Day greeting.

Quick and Easy!

Simply cut out a heart or punch one using glittery paper and tape your sweet treat to it, spreading your love.

Below are some favorite candies and sweet sentiments to help you display your love.

They are the perfect treat for the sweet tooth in all of us!

• Reese’s Pieces: I LOVE you to PIECES!
• Jolly Ranchers: My Funny Valentine…you make me JOLLY!
• Snickers: Being around you makes me giggle and SNICKER with happiness!
• Bubble Gum: I CHEW-s You!
• 100 Grand Bars: You are a GRAND Valentine!
• Hershey Kisses: Hugs and Kisses XOXO!
• Smarties: Be SMART, choose me Valentine!
• Lollipops: STICK With Me Valentine!
• Life Savers: You are my LIFE-SAVER, Valentine!
•  Sweet Tarts: Be my SWEET-ie!
• Spree Candy: I am on a love SPREE with you!
• Milky Way Bars: My love for you shoots to the MILKY-WAY and back!
• Bit O’ Honey: You are as sweet as HONEY!
• Dove Chocolate: The Love DOVE is spreading Valentine wishes!
• Payday Bars: You are WORTH every penny!
• Now and Later: I like you NOW, but I will love you LATER!
• Sugar Daddy: U R my only SUGAR DADDY!
• Skor Bars: You SCORED a homerun in my heart!
• Fig Newtons: It FIG-ures we are in LOVE!
• Hot Tamales: 2 Hot 2 Handle
• M & M’s: MM Good!
• Almond Joy Bars: You fill my life with JOY, Valentine!
• York Peppermint paddies: Your COOL!
  
  If you want to continue the sweet “candy-licious” card making bliss, these projects will capture your creative heart and help you save your pennies:

1. Create paper fortune cookies with a personal message.
2. Simply die-cut, punch, or cut a circle.
3.  Fold and staple.
4. Add a personal message to the recipient.

“My heart is all a FLUTTER for you, Valentine”:

1. Use Smartie candies to create fluttery butterflies.
2. You could hang 2 from a card that says, “We’re 2 of a Kind!”

“Our Friendship BLOOMS” or “We R BUD-ies”:

1. Create flower blossoms using suckers or ring pops as your base.
2. Die cut, punch or hand cut flower petals.
3. Add a leafy message to the flower’s stem.

“You ROCK, Valentine”:

1. Create an music player using a box of conversation hearts as your base.
2. Wrap the box with paper and add Reese’s peanut butter cups for the headphones.
3. Create a “LOVE-ly” playlist or a personalized greeting.

“Our Friendship WRAPS my Heart”:

1. Using a candy necklace,
2. add a soldered charm or a jewelry charm to each necklace.
3. Initials personalize the gift.
4. Craft created for older teens.

“Eeek, I think you are the #1 CHEESE, Valentine”:

1. Using Hershey Kisses,
2. Create miniature mice to squeak your Valentine greeting.

THINGS to PONDER before baking up a batch of Valentine crafts:

• Keep in mind the audience you are creating the treat for. Younger children need the candy to be easy to open. You wouldn’t want them to accidentally ingest any tape or glue. There is no doubt that they will eat your sweet piece of Valentine art!

• Buy your valentine candy in the regular candy aisle at the store. The valentine candy aisle is always slightly more expensive. You are paying for the sweet candy wrappings. Stick to the basics in the regular candy aisle.

• Less glue is best when creating edible crafts. Don’t use a hot glue gun with sugary treats. They may melt more than just your heart!

• I hope your cupid’s calling cards are sweet treats for those special Valentines.

• Don’t forget to post your creations in the Spotted Canary Gallery. Share the love for crafting!
  
  Here’s to Sweet Crafting Beginnings!
  ~Studio Pink (Kara)