I’m not a crafting-type mom.
I’d like to be – I aspire to be – but you know those moms who have cabinets filled with things like glitter and pipe cleaners, and enjoy settling down on snowy afternoons to create bedazzled things with their children? They are not me.
But I do like cutting hearts out of construction paper (who doesn’t?), and I very much want to get my son excited about the fact that Valentine’s Day is coming up. It’s a holiday that I have historically not really cared about, but is now – like every other holiday – about ten thousand times more fun, given that I now have a very short roommate who is experiencing it for the third time in his life (and probably the first time with any real clarity).
And so I thought we’d make some Valentines for him to pass out to his classmates. I mean: so cute, right?
I found an adorable idea for a dinosaur-themed Valentine on Spoonful, but wanted to stick with items that I happened to have laying around the house (two feet of snow on the ground = no trip to Michael’s, thanks very much)…and guess what I happen to have laying around the house for some reason?
About a million little plastic jungle animals.
So: jungle-themed Valentines it is!
The best part of this simple DIY: your kids can get as involved as their age permits, whether that means picking a spot to place the animal, cutting out the hearts, or actually coming up with animal-themed expressions (my creativity ran out with the burst of genius that is “(Wart) Hug”, so I’d love to hear any other suggestions you have).
What You Need:
Multicolored construction paper
Scissors (safety scissors if a child is doing the cutting)
Non-toxic glue
Multicolored markers
What You Do:
Just cut hearts (or any shape you prefer) into the construction paper, glue on the animal, and add the thematic Valentine’s Day message of your choice.
Speaking of Valentine’s Day, want to see what we’re giving our son this year?
A bunny, because it is so cute.
A pair of fleece-lined Crocs featuring his absolute favorite character in the entire world of animation.
A second pair of fleece-lined Crocs featuring his (and Kendrick’s) favorite way to pass an afternoon indoors (I love the primary colors on these; so retro and cute).
And a balloon and some M&Ms (not pictured), as well as bunch of Valentine’s Day-themed Jibbitz. I’m new to this whole Jibbitz thing, but basically they’re little shoe charms that you can insert into the holes in your Crocs, and kids are obsessed with them. Ob-sessed. (My neighbor’s kids, for example? Obsessed.)
There are about a zillion and one options, so you’re guaranteed to find something that your little Croc-wearer will adore (next up for us: the Superhero Squad and this friendly-looking dinosaur).
Click over to Crocs.com for more ways to find your fun!
Crocs is a sponsor of Ramshackle Glam.
