Making Valentines that Pop!

Valentine's day presents a great opportunity for sharing creativity as a family.  What says love more than a child's art? 

Grown-ups can create too - kids love things parents make for them almost as much as the parents love their hand-made gifts.  So set up a workshop for some family fun this weekend and get ready for Monday.

A materials-rich setting is a great beginning.  Try a variety of different kinds and sizes of paper and traditional valentine supplies like doilies and stickers as well as some finds from the art bin - scraps of paper or colored wrapping, crayons, markers, scissors, hole punches, watercolor, glue, rubber stamps - use what you have and make it a rich table setting.

One of my favorite books on family art compares setting a table for art to setting a dinner table.  It always looks so beautiful when you start and then inevitably something is spilled, stains appear on the tablecloth - the after-dinner table is a much messier affair. 

So it is with the art table, but just as with a good dinner don't let the mess deter you from a good art session.  Set out the materials in a way that they invite children to create making it easy to find and reach all the things they need.

Working alongside your kids, think back to your own childhood for inspiration as well.  Try folding a paper in half and cutting strips on the fold almost to the opposite edge.  Then weave thin strips of another color paper through this for a unique woven effect.  Or fold a long rectangle of paper accordion-style and cut out paper dolls or a chain of hearts.

Look for colors and textures that will make things pop - a silver heart against a bright red background or a warm red heart against a cool blue paper.  With cutting, think of ways to use the scraps as well - great designs can be made by the hearts made cutting around the heart - artists call this negative space.

This is also a great opportunity to go back to the post on paper engineering and look for ways to add 3D elements to your valentines - try folding a strip of paper to make a heart jump out at the one who opens the card.  Or fold a card and make a diagonal cut on the fold.  When this pieces is folded the opposite way, it will pop out when the card is open - creating all sorts of possibilities.

Most of all, have fun with it and take your time.  Enjoy a weekend full of love crafts and let your kids decorate the house as well as making cards for those they love.