Valentine's Card Holder

Wednesdays with Whitney: Hungry Heart Holder

If you care for children that go to school you know what that means…. It means hoards of Valentines coming home on the 14th of February. Make collecting those Valentines a little bit easier this year (and fun) by creating this Hungry Heart Monster with your kiddos. It’s easy for little ones to carry, it’s large enough to keep track of all those Valentines, and it’s a great new addition to your temporary family.





Supplies

• Clean Milk Jug
• Paint
• Marbles
• Knife
• Sharpies
• Paper
• Ribbon

Directions

1. Start by painting a milk jug. Instead of using paintbrushes on the outside, let the little ones have some fun by shaking around marbles and paint on the inside. Just make sure the cap is on! When the jug is fully colored, empty out the marbles and let the jug dry.

2. Cut out a large mouth for the child’s monster. You can give it teeth, no teeth, a tongue, or even a surprised expression. Just make sure the hole is big enough for little hands and Valentines to fit through. While you’re busy cutting, be sure to make slits for the ears on the sides.

3. Now you can let the little ones cut out ears and hair for their monster. Our ears are made out of two half hearts, but let the kiddos get creative. For the hair, I found it easiest to make slits in a full sheet of paper and then roll it up before placing it through the top of the jug. This way it can hold itself without glue or any adhesives.

4. After you put the hair in, slide the ears through the slits and continue on with the rest of the monster’s facial features. Once again, let the kids get creative.

5. Use ribbon to put some finishing touches on it. Hair ribbons, neck ties, snake like tongues – the monster is your child’s canvas!

This monster will be a well loved household pet for at least a week and he’ll be eager to make an appearance next year for some new alterations.

Reference: Whitney shares this project courtesy of her mother who she used to do this project with as a child. Don't forget to stop by next Wednesday for another fun project by Whitney and to check out her personal blog at http://thenaptimenook.com/