Gifts

 Party Ideas

Valentine's Day Candy Roses

(click on photo to enlarge)

The candy rose is a simple craft that can be made by adults and children (6 and up with supervision).  You can make just one and add a homemade card to give a very sweet and personal gift.  Or you can make more than one and create a candy bouquet by tying them together with some red curling ribbon or an easy pull ribbon bow.

Supplies needed per Candy Rose:

Two Hershey Kisses

25 inches of floral tape 

Red or pink cellophane wrap (cut 4 1/2 inch squares)

Artificial stem or 18 gauge stem wire (cut a 6 inch piece)

Leaf - Use an artificial  or green hard candy or use green 

        cellophane wrap (4 1/2 inch square)

Red or white ribbon

Directions:     

1. Hold two Hershey kisses flat sides together.  Place both in the center of the square

    cellophane wrap.   Gather all four corners together and twist at the tip of the bottom   

    kiss. 

2. Lay the stem next to the twisted excess cellophane.  Stretching floral tape tightly begin

   wrapping the floral tape around the stem and cellophane just under the kisses.  Wrap

   about 1 inch in length  down the stem.  

3. Add artificial or candy or cellophane leaf and wrap floral tape for about 1/2 inch to

    attach l leaf.  If you wanted to you could add a second leaf per stem in the same

    manner. 

4. Continue wrapping the floral tape down the stem, overlapping it and pulling it tight until 

    you reach the bottom.  Cut any excess floral tap and wrap end onto the stem.  If making

    the mini flower pot, leave about 1/2 in of wire showing on the bottom of stem, so it can

    be inserted into the foam.  

5. Tie bow from the ribbon just beneath the leaf of a single stem candy rose, or make

    several and bunch them together and tie with a ribbon.  For the mini flower pots,  just

    arrange candy roses into the foam.  You can make additional cellophane leafs for filler,

    by taking the square and pinching opposite sides together, wrapping a 20 gauge wire

    (4 inch piece) around the center and twisting it. Stick the leaves into the foam to fill

    spaces. 

Clay Pot Rose Bouquet

For those who want to make a table favor or centerpieces, you can create several flowers and put into a clay pot. You can paint the clay pot prior to placing the candy roses in them.   Use mini flower pots for favors, larger one's for centerpieces.  Using a hot-glued (adult supervision) glue down a foam ball inside the clay pot.  The foam will allow the candy roses to stand up.  I also added green cellophane leaves and artificial baby's breath stems to fill the pot.   Use some craft moss to cover foam ball in the pot, add stick signs, etc.  Also good as a teachers gifts for Valentine's Day.   

Cupid's Critter Notes

(click on photo to enlarge)

Supplies Needed: Foam Craft Heart Shapes (various sizes)

                             Foam Craft triangles, oblongs. squares (various sizes)

                             Craft foam glue

                             Tape

                             Stick Glue

                             Colored Construction Paper

                             Heart Cutout Patter for signs

                             Wiggle Eyes (various sizes and colors)

                             1" Foam Ball (cut into fourths, 1/4 used per critter)

                             White Printer Paper

                             2.5" - 3" inch plastic pick or craft wire for signs. 

                             Various craft accessories like pipe-cleaners, feathers, etc. to adorn your critters. 

                             Additional items that you may need ( Penny, Dime or Magnet)                            

Directions:

1. View the photos of the critters below to count the number of hearts used for the body

    and select all the foam pieces you will need.  Or maybe you have another kind of critter

    you want to make, be creative using the heart shapes.

2. Glue your main body parts together with craft glue, let dry a little. 

3. Glue on wiggle eyes.

4. Glue on flat side of 1/4 foam ball to the back of critter (see photo below).  Let dry

   completely.

5. Cut out heart shaped signs from construction paper. You will need two hearts per sign.

6. Tape pick to the back of one heart.

7. Glue the second heart over the first to cover the pick.  Let dry completely.

8. Using your computer, print off cute little sayings for your critters.  Or handwrite neatly

    onto a white piece of paper.  Cut sayings to fit within heart signs.

9. Use stick glue to glue sayings onto hearts.

10. Poke sign into foam behind the critter.  If critter falls over, weight down foam ball by

      gluing a penny, dime or magnet to the bottom. 

Critter Tips:

Cat- An extra small heart was glued to the back of the head for support. Tail made of pipe

       cleaner. Tongue is small heart upside down. Ears are two triangles. Used small pink

       wiggle eyes.

Pig- Ears were made by cutting a smaller heart in half, while feet were made from a small

       circle cut in half. Tail is a pipe cleaner curled around a pencil.  Pig nose made with

       permanent black marker. Used pink wiggle eyes.

Duck - Added a few cut pieces of feather to top of head.  Feet are upside down hearts. Used

          blue wiggle eyes.

Butterfly- Used an oblong piece for body. Pipe cleaner for antennae's.

More Critter Ideas:

  Magnet - Glue magnet to the back of your critter, instead of foam ball.

  Puppet - Glue critter to a colored popsicle stick.

  Card - Purchase plain cards at a craft store and glue critter to card. You can still use the  

           sign but just glue the heart onto card too.

  Pin - Hot glue a pin fixture to the back of critter.

 Critter Duck

Critter Cat

Critter Butterfly

Critter Pig

Back view of critter

Side view of critter

Valentine/Heart Craft Products

Craft Site Links 

Love Bugs from Red & Yellow's Bright Ideas

MakingFriends.com Valentine Crafts

Party Consultant M. Hylton
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Revised: 08/14/08