I always tend to leave things till the last minute. Procrastination, they call it, in mild terms. Only, mine is the height of procrastination. Right up to the very moment when I can see the dreaded deadline looming up at my back door (not horizon, backdoor it is), I don’t get up and do things. Resolutions happened, several times at that. All to no avail. Period.
We always do something crafty together as a family for the occasion of Valentine’s Day. This year, I had especially elaborate plans, but, as you must have guessed from the way I started this post, the plans could not bear fruit and the kids spent most of their time on their virtual games as usual, me with my writing work and husband in office meetings (phew!). However, we couldn’t really not do anything for the occasion and hence I set to work looking out for easy, DIY fun stuff for the kids. Here are the two last-minute ideas I picked out for this Valentine.
Flower Necklace
We always do something crafty together as a family for the occasion of Valentine’s Day. This year, I had especially elaborate plans, but, as you must have guessed from the way I started this post, the plans could not bear fruit and the kids spent most of their time on their virtual games as usual, me with my writing work and husband in office meetings (phew!). However, we couldn’t really not do anything for the occasion and hence I set to work looking out for easy, DIY fun stuff for the kids. Here are the two last-minute ideas I picked out for this Valentine.
Flower Necklace
What you need:
What to do:
Valentine’s Day and flowers go hand in hand; one can’t imagine the festival of love without the bright hues and fragrances of tulips and orchids, lilies and roses. Well, why not create a festive-looking flower necklace for the occasion? It’s very simple: Ask your kids to draw out a flower with six petals on a sheet of cardboard (minus the stalk). Now help them to cut out the flower using the pair of scissors carefully. Using the cut out flower, trace out at least 8-10 more shapes on the cardboard (of different colors). Cut them out like you did initially. Use the tip of the pencil to make a small hole in the center of each cut-out cardboard flower. Now cut each straw into 4 almost equal sized pieces. Insert the thread into a hole of a flower, followed by inserting the same thread into one of the cut straw pieces. Continue doing the same process, alternating between a flower and a straw (stalk) each. Once you’re done, make a knot so that the pieces on the string don’t come apart. Voila! Your flower necklace is ready to be worn. Here is a simple tutorial that shows how it is done.
- Stiff cardboard paper (in 3 different colors)
- Straws (in 3 different colors)
- A pair of scissors
- A pencil
- Thick thread/string/wool
What to do:
Valentine’s Day and flowers go hand in hand; one can’t imagine the festival of love without the bright hues and fragrances of tulips and orchids, lilies and roses. Well, why not create a festive-looking flower necklace for the occasion? It’s very simple: Ask your kids to draw out a flower with six petals on a sheet of cardboard (minus the stalk). Now help them to cut out the flower using the pair of scissors carefully. Using the cut out flower, trace out at least 8-10 more shapes on the cardboard (of different colors). Cut them out like you did initially. Use the tip of the pencil to make a small hole in the center of each cut-out cardboard flower. Now cut each straw into 4 almost equal sized pieces. Insert the thread into a hole of a flower, followed by inserting the same thread into one of the cut straw pieces. Continue doing the same process, alternating between a flower and a straw (stalk) each. Once you’re done, make a knot so that the pieces on the string don’t come apart. Voila! Your flower necklace is ready to be worn. Here is a simple tutorial that shows how it is done.
Red Popcorn
What you need:
What to do:
My daughter loves red velvet cupcakes (reminds one of Valentine somehow, doesn’t it?). So when I chanced upon the recipe of red velvet popcorn online, I could not give it a miss (especially because it looked oh-so simple!). Just mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl – everything except the popped popcorn. Once thoroughly mixed into a creamy texture, fold the bag of popcorn into it. Now comes the best part for kids – ask them to use their (clean) hands to crumble the red cupcakes in another large bowl and then add them to the above ready mixture. Bake as you would normal popcorn for around ten minutes and your popcorn tub is ready to occupy pride of place on your lap, in front of the television. A perfect excuse to make Valentine’s Day a fun movie night for the entire family!
Have a great Valentine’s Day!
- Softened cream cheese
- Sugar (preferably powdered)
- Corn syrup
- Popped popcorn (number of bags depending on number of people)
- 6 red velvet cupcakes (crumbled)
What to do:
My daughter loves red velvet cupcakes (reminds one of Valentine somehow, doesn’t it?). So when I chanced upon the recipe of red velvet popcorn online, I could not give it a miss (especially because it looked oh-so simple!). Just mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl – everything except the popped popcorn. Once thoroughly mixed into a creamy texture, fold the bag of popcorn into it. Now comes the best part for kids – ask them to use their (clean) hands to crumble the red cupcakes in another large bowl and then add them to the above ready mixture. Bake as you would normal popcorn for around ten minutes and your popcorn tub is ready to occupy pride of place on your lap, in front of the television. A perfect excuse to make Valentine’s Day a fun movie night for the entire family!
Have a great Valentine’s Day!