Hearts & Crafts - Valentine's cards for the artistically challenged

Well, I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but I have no artistic ability whatsoever. Pretty soon Ruby is going to find me out and realise that my talents do not extend beyond dodgy looking stick men.

I still like to let her indulge, in the hope that she may have some artistic gene hidden away in there somewhere.  Valentine's crafts are my favourite, because Valentine's means hearts. Hearts are easy.  They are symmetrical, which means if you're using folded paper you only even need to draw half a shape, and better still I have my trusty heart shaped cookie cutters, so for most things I can get away with not drawing them at all!

I'm pretty sure I read something on Mumsnet's twitter stream about concern over Valentine's cards and pre-schoolers (what??!), so if that's correct, then here's my customary salute to MN.

Daddy always gets a Valentine's card from his little girl, and it's nice to send grandparents one too, so we tried out a couple of different designs today which were easy-peasy.

Cookie-Cutter Hearts.

You will need:

• Card
• Heart shaped cookie cutters
• PVA glue
• Glitter

Fold your cardboard in half to make your card shape.

Spread glue out thinly on a plate or tray.

Dip the cookie cutter in and ensure the whole outline shape gets glue on it.

'Stamp' the gluey heart shape onto the card.  Repeat randomly until you build up a pattern.

Sprinkle glitter over the card (red glitter would probably have been better, but our craft supplies are a bit depleted post Christmas!).

This is the magic part, because we used white card, it was hard to see what pattern we'd created until the glitter was shaken off.

'Butterfly' Heart Prints

You will need:

• Card
• Paper
• Scissors
• Paint
• Glue

We all must remember doing these folded, squidgy butterfly prints at school.  Take your paper and fold in half. Draw half a heart at the fold and cut out.

Splodge your paint on one half only (cross your fingers for luck)

Continue until you are happy with the pattern (or you've run out of paint)

Fold over and squash, press and smooth.

Open out, and voila!

Once dry, mount onto your card with glue.

Now, I've just got to hope none of the recipients read this, or they'll know who their secret Valentine is. x