Making Valentines Day Gifts, That Everyone Can Enjoy
Everyone tends to think that Valentines Day is a special day for lovers to express their affection for each other, which of course is true, but don’t leave the rest of the family out…
Valentines Day is a super opportunity for the whole family to express their family love by joining together to create gifts, cook special treats and make cards for one another. Here’s a few tips to involve the whole family;
Valentine Cards
Of course the most recognised gift on Valentines Day is the Valentine Card. Millions of cards sre sent on 14th of February every year. The whole family can enjoy the craft of making their very own Valentines card.
One of my favourite cards is a photo card which will become a memorable keepsake. These cards are very easy to make, you simply print off one of your photos, stick on some blank card, then use your artistic skills to create a decorative border. This is a great way to show your love by giving such a unique gift.
With todays abundance of websites, you’ll be able to find sites that will give you templates to download with lots of instructions and tips to help you design and decorate your cards. Most of these sites are free and you’ll discover how to add sequins or real flowers to your creations. Lots of ideas for the kids to create Mum Valentine Cards as well. Just Google “Create A Valentine Card”
Valentines Wreaths
You can get a lot of fun making a Valentines Day Wreath and they do make a great decoration. You can make these in any size to fit on your front door or above the fireplace. First you’ll need to get hold of some red fabric, preferably in different patterns and textures. Then cut the material into heart shapes paired in different sizes. Sew the pairs up but leave about a quarter unsewn. Stuff paper between the 2 halfs and then finish sewing them together.
When you’ve completed several hearts, you can then sew them altogether to create a larger heart. All you need to do now is make a loop at the top of your wreath, either out of string or wire, then hang your Valentine wreath on your door for all to see and admire
Valentines Day Baking
Children love the opportunity to help their parents do a bit of baking. So what better time to involve the kids in baking some Valentine treats. You’ll find loads of Valentine recipes on the web that will show you how to make chocalates or candies for this special day. Then letting the children present their produce in a heart shaped basket to the rest of the family will make their day
Here’s a popular biscuit recipe that people love on Valentines Day. Firstly you’ll need the following ingredients
red boiled sweets
60g golden syrup
60g soft dark brown sugar
60g caster sugar
150g butter
360g plain flour
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1. Heat the oven to 180c or gas mark4. Line a baking tray with kitchen foil.
2. In a small saucepan melt the butter with the sugars and the syrup.
3 Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and sugar mixture and mix well.
4. Knead the mixture until it comes together. Flatten the dough into a round 1″ thick. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Roll the dough out on a dusted work surface to 1/4″ thick and use a heart shaped cutter to cut out the biscuits
6. Place the biscuits onto the baking tray and cut out the center of each heart with a smaller heart shaped cutter. Replace the center with one of the red boiled sweets.
7. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the baking tray. The boiled sweets will have melted to create a stained glass effect.
Valentines Hearts
Valentines Day would not be complete without seeing hearts around the house. Even the youngest of the children can join in. Just cut out of either paper or card lots of different heart shapes. Hand them over to the children and let their imagination run riot. Just provide them with paints, glue, sequins, tissue paper, dried flowers etc. The completed masterpieces can then be stuck on doors and windows all over the home.
Keep Valentines Day as one of your special dates in the diary and let the whole family share and show how much you all mean to each other. We all have such busy lives today and maybe don’t share and love as much as we could. So celebrate Valentines Day with the whole family and have great fun finding new crafts you can all enjoy on this special day. Read about Valentines Day History
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