How To Make Rosebud Valentines

Though we’re very crafty at home, I love when Laurel comes home with new ideas from her art classes at school. And last week I was blown away by the awesomeness of this rosebud Valentine project. These Valentines are a tad time consuming if you make the hearts as big as Laurel did (about ¾ of a sheet of paper) so she’s just making a few for some special sweethearts. Alternatively, you could make them smaller (perhaps cutting 8.5 x 11” sheets of paper into four equal pieces and cutting hearts from those rectangles). The effect will still be spectacularly heartfelt. Here’s the how-to:

You will need: cover stock paper, glue, a pencil with a nice flat eraser end, scissors, a roll (or more, depending on how many you want to make) of crepe paper party streamers, and scrap paper to lay down on your work surface.

1. Cut out heart shapes from the cover stock paper

I just did this freehand, don't worry about perfection! Have your child cut a pile of squares (again, don't worry about perfection) from the crepe paper. (Don't you love that Laurel is wearing a crown while she works?)

2. Working on top of scrap paper, apply glue to a section of the heart

One by one, place the eraser end of a pencil in the center of a square of crepe paper and press the sides of the paper up around the pencil to create a rosebud.

3. Press the bottom of the rosebud (eraser end of pencil) onto the gluey section of your heart

Repeat, keeping the rosebuds nice and tight, until the heart is completely filled. (Note: in the picture you'll see that there's a line drawn down the center of the heart. I'm not sure why Laurel did that...it's not necessary to complete the project.)

4. Allow rosebud heart to dry completely

Write a message on the back. Present the awesomeness to a loved one.

All image credits: Christine Koh