DIY VALENTINE'S DAY GARLAND

V A L E N T I N E ' S   D A Y is just around the corner! Whether you like Valentine's Day or not, you have to admit the decorations are kinda the cutest there ever was when it comes to holiday decor. Am I right?  I don't usually decorate our house for Valentine's Day, but this year I figured we should make a lil somethin' because Chicago Januarys are like 753 days long, and I needed some Valentine's Day cheer in my life.

If your kid is like mine, painting is fun for maybe 10 minutes max and then it either turns into a complete MESS or they are just over it. So I was trying to think of something that let him get a teeny tiny bit messy, but in a quick and contained way. This craft was exactly that and you DON'T have to be a super crafty mama to have this turn out adorable. And I bet you have all of the supplies already at home! It ended up being soo simple and GREAT for decorating, and I am excited to share this easy Valentine's Day garland with you all!

First, I cut heart shapes of various sizes and colors out of construction paper.

I tried two different painting methods. The first was the "no mess finger painting" with a ziplock bag. It was kind of a fail for us. Maybe I didn't put enough paint, but it didn't spread well. Then when I went to take the construction paper out of the bag, the paper stuck and tore slightly. It was still salvageable, but it was not my favorite method.

The other method was good ole paint brush and/or fingers. I used a piece of rolled up tape to hold the heart onto his tray and let him at it. YES, it was definitely more messy than this first picture I snapped so don't be fooled. 😂  This method ended up being way more fun for Charlie to do and, in my opinion, looked more artistic. But I would still suggest that you try both methods to see what works best for your little one.

The beautiful thing about this craft is that you don't even have to do paint. You can use stickers from the dollar store, glitter, pom poms, or glue smaller heart shapes to the big heart shapes. This craft is totally customizable to what you have on hand.

Once all of our painted hearts had dried, I used tape to hang them on a piece of twine, and ta dah! Our very own homemade Valentine's Day garland!

If you make this with your kiddos, I would love to see how it turned out! You can tag me in it or send it to me via Instagram (Username @emilyjamesy). 

Happy Valentine's Day friends!

Emily