Love Beads

Charm someone special on Valentine's Day with a piece of homemade jewelry.

Materials

• Fimo or Sculpey clay (available at art supply stores)
• Aspic or tiny cookie cutters
• Toothpick

• Thin cording or string
• Safety pin

Instructions

1. To make symmetrical hearts, use the side of a pen to roll flat a lump of clay to about 1/8-inch thick.
2. Cut out pieces with a heart-shaped aspic cutter. For free-form hearts, use your fingers to form or coil individual bits of clay. You can even swirl together multiple colors.
3. Use the toothpick to make a hole in a corner of each bead and then bake hearts according to package directions.

Write Card

Make pencil-pierced Valentines that are perfect for handing out to classmates.

 

Materials

• Cardboard
• Pencil (to use)
• Colored card stock
• Scissors

• Markers or metallic pens
• Stickers
• Hole punch

Instructions

1. Make a template for your kids to trace around: Cut out a cardboard heart.
2. Have your child trace the heart onto card stock and cut it out.
3. Decorate with pens and stickers.
4. Use the hole punch to make holes on each side of the heart and slide the cool pencil through.

On a Roll

• Colorful wrapping paper
  
• Roll of candy
• Stickers
• Tape

Instructions

1. To put a fun spin on your V-day wishes, cut a rectangle of colorful wrapping paper sized to wrap a few times around a roll of candy.
2. Print your message on the paper's blank side (adding stickers if you like), then tape one end to the candy packaging.
3. Roll the paper around the treat and secure it with a sticker.

Variations:

More messages:

• "See you around!"
• "Let's rock and roll!"
• "You're a lifesaver" (with Life Savers candy)

Conversation Heart Pencil Toppers

Just like their edible cousins, these foam conversation hearts will let your child get right to the point of her Valentine's messages.

Materials

• Scissors
• Craft foam
• Permanent markers

• Pipe cleaner
• Pencil

Instructions

1. Cut a 1- to 2-inch heart from craft foam. With a permanent marker, print a short message on the front and the name of the giver on back.
2. Now poke an inch of the pipe cleaner through the bottom of the heart, bend it down, and twist it back around the remaining length of pipe cleaner.
3. Coil the pipe cleaner tightly around the pencil. Then gently pull up on the heart so that part of the coil bobs freely above the pencil, with several loops anchored around the eraser end.

Triple Nut Bars

3/4

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2

cup packed brown sugar

1/2

teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

Topping

1

cup butter or margarine

1 1/2

cups packed brown sugar

1/4

cup honey

1/4

cup light corn syrup

1/2

teaspoon vanilla

1

cup walnut pieces

1

cup unblanched or blanched whole almonds

1

cup pecan halves

 

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and the almond extract with electric mixer on medium-low speed until blended. On low speed, beat in flour until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• 2 Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, cook 1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, the honey, corn syrup and vanilla over medium-high heat 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
• 3 Sprinkle walnuts, almonds and pecans over crust. Pour brown sugar mixture over nuts. Bake 13 to 15 minutes longer or until top of mixture is bubbly. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.

 

Under the Sink Organizer

Tame a crowd of spray bottles by installing a curtain rod across the cabinet. Suspend them by their spray triggers, and voila! Freed-up space for other bathroom or kitchen essentials.

Wrapped Gift Jars

Jars make great gift containers. Discover dozens of things to wrap around them. Wrap with jute, banding, yarn, raffia, braid, ribbon, rope, embroidery floss, and torn fabric strips. Choose an adhesive that works for both glass and the decorative trim