Sweet, Simple Valentine's Treat Bags

The big day is almost here but you (and the kids!) still have time to stitch up some cute little bags to contain those Valentine's Day treats.

A big fat plastic yarn needle makes it easy but if you don't have one lying around you can snip a piece of curling ribbon into a point that will fit through the little holes. Lace through the lacy bits of the doily, tie a bow, and you're done!

They hold a handful of conversation hearts nicely, or perhaps some of these yummies from Make and Takes, but Daisy's holds this little V-day hairclip that I made from a bit of leftover ribbon.

(p.s. sorry for the dark, awful pictures, it's just been a gray day!)

Heart-Shaped Crochet Dishcloth for Your Valentine

Daisy was wishing that I would crochet a little something for her and I had a vision of a big old-fashioned red heart trimmed with white lace.  This is what I came up with:

It turned out just as I had hoped, and she's enjoying washing up with it at every opportunity.  I shared the pattern  over at house+made (along with some updates on how our no-spend month is going and a very helpful (if I do say so) comparison of grocery store prices).  Come check it out!

Friday Finds: Cutie-Cute Valentine Freebies to Share

I've been finding oodles of cute Valentine's printables and with our No-Spend month in full swing they're right up my alley!  I'm sure you'll find something to love!

Bunny Cakes all you need is love cards
Cottage Industrialist has dinosaur cards and some cute cowboy lasso ones
Skip to My Lou has cute butterflies to make with lollipops
Living Locurto's owl cards are cute and modern
Oliebollen has several cute cards including a cute one to color

Mmmcrafts' wood you be mine card, a nice choice for the grownups in your life
Memory Makers shares cute Valentine tickets
Designworklife offers up some options for your palentine
Inside a Black Apple offered up some little French girlies last year
On a related note, Tipnut shares a list of tasty V-day treats.
 
...and if you need some inspiration for the less beloved in your life, you should really check these out.  Boo hoo!

Salt Dough Conversation Hearts for Valentine's Day

I love those little sugary conversation hearts that you find at Valentine's Day -- they're sweet and tasty (in a delightfully chalky way) and bring me right back to childhood. We made giant ones out of home-mixed playdough.

Best Homemade Playdough

1 c flour
1/4 c salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp oil
1 c water
food coloring
1 tsp vanilla or peppermint extract (optional)

Stir ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until the dough comes together. Dump it out on the counter and knead for a minute until shiny, smooth, and resilient.

We let it cool until we could handle it, then rolled it out and cut it with heart-shaped cutters. The letters are tiny stamps ... which led to lots of fun stamping with our whole collection. Creativity abounds!

(get it? 'bee' cool? heh heh)