I have a confession to make.
I don’t buy my husband anything for Valentine’s Day. Not even a card. And he doesn’t buy me anything either. Not even a card.
Do you still like me? I promise there’s a good reason for this!
You see, in the beginning we were poor. As in, root around in the car seat cushions looking for loose change so we could do laundry poor. We decided then that Valentine’s Day was a sweet idea but that we didn’t need to do anything extra for each other on that day to show our love. Although, I might have made him do the dishes. Any excuse for that!
But, then we had some munchkins come into our lives and it all changed. We still don’t buy anything (not even cards!) for each other but we do enjoy taking the opportunity to have fun celebrating this extra-sweet day with the sweetest two kiddos we know.
This year my youngest and I have had fun using homemade modeling clay in two different ways.
The first was to make these darling Clay Heart Tags. I’m including the recipe for this easy-peasy homemade clay at the bottom of this post.
The second way we used our homemade modeling clay was to make Heart Shaped Magnets for my little Miss to give to her classmates at school. She cut out the appropriate number of hearts and we left them to dry overnight.
Then she personalized each one in her own style. Which means that there are some that only have a banana on them. Not sure how she made the correlation between Valentine’s Day and fruit but I don’t ask questions. 😉
Then I glued a small magnet to the back of each heart. I used superglue but you could also use hot glue. It just needs to be something stronger than regular craft/school glue.
And they are all ready to be delivered to her friends on Valentine’s Day! Maybe we could call this one, “You’re the Apple of My Eye”???
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Baking Soda
- 1 Cup Corn Starch
- 1 1/4 Cups Warm Water
Instructions
- Stir together baking soda and corn starch in a saucepan.
- Add warm water.
- Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes.
- Remove mixture and allow to cool on plate or cutting board.
- Once mixture is cool to the touch begin cutting out shapes and modeling to your heart's content!
- Air dry overnight.
- *Unused clay can be stored in refrigerator until next use. Warm up a bit in microwave to soften.
As Valentine’s Day draws closer, I think back to those years of scrounging around in the seat cushions for loose change, dates where we had to share meals (we still do that sometimes!) and going window shopping because we couldn’t afford to actually go into the stores. Those were some of the sweetest times in our marriage and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world!
Maybe this year I’ll get my husband a card after all…and tell him just how much those memories mean to me!
Thanks so much for joining me at the Fence today,
These are so adorable, Vanessa. Thanks for the recipe. I think my grands would really enjoy putting it to good use. Is that awesome background in the pictures some of the scrapbook paper that you picked up??? 😉
Vanessa, we don’t buy anything for Valentine’s either. It is just an over commercialized day to make money for the card, flower and candy companies. We don’t need one special day to let each other know we love each other. Anyway our anniversary is eight days later!
Great pictures.
So cute – I have friends that teach preschool who may pick up your idea for a school project:)
We don’t exchange cards, etc at Valentine’s Day either. Did early on in our marriage but weened away. I don’t need Hallmark to tell my husband how much I love him.
One idea that I came up with years ago and we did for a long time was to journal a note every year in a journal we kept in our nightstand. This was for any holiday or even just I care/love you note:)
Such sweet little hearts! And what treasures, will be able to keep these forever…sweet!
What a great project, Vanessa! Kid friendly, too! I have got to try doing some clay tags. Yours is the second post I’ve read this week that has me wanting to try it.`
What a cute project! I’d love to make some of these with my class at school.
Vanessa, thanks for the cute little project to do with my grands, sometime…pinned it to my DIY board for future reference and passing along!
Hugs,
JP
These are very cute, thanks for the recipe and sharing.
Cynthia
So sweet Vanessa. I remember those days too! Thanks for the recipes- I have always wanted to try this. And your daughter’s are adorable. Thanks for sharing!
Love these Vanessa! I was wanting to make a little something for my girls but didn’t know what. Going to make these this weekend, so thanks! Btw, my husband always brings us girls flowers and I buy See’s chocolate hearts every year (they are only available at Valentine’s day), but we don’t buy gifts for each other. My husband always cooks dinner for me, as well.
Love these! So cute! Might have to make these with the kiddos – or just have you over to show me!
Oh Vanessa, I am such a cheapskate that I always say “The best gift you could give me would be to not spend money.” So we don’t do the gift thing either. 🙂 I think a card is a lovely idea that even my cheapskate heart can wrap itself around. I adore those little tags. If I get REALLY motivated, we might follow suit 🙂
Adorable hearts! What a creative mother and daughter! Of course, I’m a bit biased!
Mom
Thanks so much for this recipe. Once I made something similar to this and let my kids play with it in the backyard. When I went out to check on them they had smeared it into the stucco on the back of our house! It took me months to get the hardened clay off of that wall. (Oh well, live and learn!)
Happy Valentines Day!
Ashley Rane
Your hearts are adorable thanks for sharing the recipe, I’m going to make some tonite with the stepkids! Have a great weekend ladies 🙂
I love the idea of making those hearts for gifts. Cute and she seem to really be enjoying making them. We don’t do gifts or cards either. Maybe dinner out, but even that has gotten to where it’s so crowded it’s not worth it. Not that we don’t really love each other, it’s just gotten to a point where we don’t have to have the cards and gifts to know it. That comes with old age. LOL
Judy
Hi Vanessa
Thanks for sharing…..Lovley idea 🙂
and do not miss…
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it is FUN 🙂
WELCOME
Håkan ( The Roseman)
SO CLEVER!!
What a great idea.
And don’t feel bad – hubs and I ignore most holidays and give to one another (and for ourselves) year – round, and tend to lose the stress of the holidays by doing so.
His birthday is March 7th so I tend to wait till then anyway to spoil him occassionally – most of the time we remain giftless and to be honest we prefer it that way.
Hugs.
What a sweet post! And Vanessa…..your photography is off-the-charts. 🙂
Have a great day rock star!
karianne
So beautiful and the photos are amazing xxx
Love the heart magnet idea for valentines for school kids! that is just great. And your photos of the flowers are just gorgeous! Did I see on fb that you got a 50mm lens? I’m gettin one too – just need to get it ordered 🙂
And we don’t really do much for Valentines either. Sometimes I make my hubby a card, sometimes he thinks of getting one. But we usually feel like there are so many other things to spend the money on! I would love it if he’d do something fun for me some year though!!
My DH and I, have been married for 49 years, and I remember when we first married. I received one rose, and I was so very happy that he was so sweet…
which was awesome. it was all we could afford. Since then,years later, I have received diamonds, and as much as I LOVE the gifts I now receive, I will never forget that single rose…from years ago…
Vanessa I just wanted to say thanks for sharing with us what love is all about, not the cards and boxes of candy. I remember those days also and am so thankful for them. I am glad that you brought back the memories for me and so many others. If people would just remember things like that I believe it would be less divorces and unhappy people in this world. What spcial things to teach your children and doing things with them that you just can’t buy. By the way just write your husband a note on a piece of paper that your children can paint and put it on the kitchen table. I think he would probably appreciate that more than a card. Thanks again and “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY.”
Betty Whatley
Vanessa, love your hearts & really liked your mug, too! Something quick & easy that I think I can try 🙂 My hubby & I do only cards at holidays and special occasions. We try to make every day count. God bless! Jackie
Love these really cute hearts and what a great idea. We don’t do Valentine’s either, but maybe this year. Great memories. Hugs, Marty
What a sweet story about your young married life. Yes,we too, started out “poor.” Makes me appreciate what we have now, that’s for sure. I like your smooth looking dough- in the past, I’ve only made a salt dough, which tends to have a rougher texture. like that your daughter just decorates her items in her own style- shows she is an “individual.” 🙂
What a sweet story about your young married start in life. We,too, were “poor” when we first started out- makes me appreciate all that we are blessed to have now. Love that your daughter decorated her hearts using her own style- beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 🙂 I also like the look of this smoother dough. My salt dough recipe produces a rougher texture.
Just a quick question, does anyone think you could add a bit of food colouring to make coloured hearts? Would that work?
I was wondering that too! Lol
beautiful! we don’t buy gifts either 🙂
This project is so cute — and I love how it looks dressing up your mason jar vase! And speaking of mason jars … would it be okay to feature this on Mason Jar Crafts Love?
Let me know!
🙂 Linda
Totally okay Linda! We’re always honored to be featured by you! 🙂
These are simply beautiful!
You had me at “hearts”!
I will have to try these…and the ones with the magnets for the little ones are so cute! How fun!
Thank you!
All my heart,
Deborah xo