Newstalk Florida – N

Last-Minute DIY Valentine’s Day Gifts

Uh-oh it’s Valentine’s Day and you’ve had such a stressful week that you totally forgot. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Here are a few DIY Valentine’s Day gifts that your true love is sure to enjoy.

I Heart You Kitchen Towels

By: Emily from Handmaker of Things

Materials:

• craft paint in colors of your choice (towels shown embrace the gold and bright pink trend with a bit of black)
• letter stencils
• stencil pouncer (the one pictured is from a set of 6 or 7 different sizes) or styrofoam headed paintbrush
• double-sided tape
• plain white kitchen towels made of cotton or linen (not terry cloth or textured; the ones pictured are from a four pack of white flour sack towels from Target, just $3,99)
• polka dot stencil and painters tape (optional).

Directions:

1. Wash and dry your towels, then press to make sure they’re nice and flat. Lay out your towel, make sure to put either newspaper, cardboard, or some other protective surface behind it as the paint will likely bleed through.

2. Take your letter stencils and arrange them on your towel as desired. Once they’re where you want them, secure in the corners with double sided tape, so they won’t move as you add your paint. Emily created her heart stencil by folding a piece of heavy paper in half and cutting the shape.

3. Load your stencil pouncer or brush with paint. Dab some of the paint off on a piece of cardboard so you don’t have too much. Begin to dab the pouncer or brush over your stencil. Be careful to not go over the edges, keeping your color inside the letters. Continue to fill in carefully until you have nice solid color. You can also let the first coat dry and add another for more saturated hues.

4. Once paint is dry carefully remove your stencil. Wash again, delicate setting, without other clothes or items, then re-press.

Hershey Kiss Jar

Materials:

• 1 32 oz Mason Jar (can get 12 for $10 from Target)
• 1 pack of Hershey Kisses
• Computer and printer or a red or black Sharpie marker
• 1 Elmer’s Washable School Glue Clear

Directions:

1. Wash out your mason jar and be sure to dry it good.
2. Using your computer open paint or Microsoft Word.
3. Using Word Art in Word find a font and design you like and type “Kisses for when I’m not around” or if you don’t have access to a computer and printer then skip to step 8.
4. Insert a small heart under the words. Make sure your words are condensed in a small square so it’s two words on a line.
5. Print out the saying.
6. Cut the saying neatly in a square cutout.
7. Using Elmer’s Clear Glue, glue the saying onto the front of the jar.
8. If you don’t want to use a computer and printer, use a red or black Sharpie marker. I suggest the black so it is clearer to see. Write the saying directly on the jar and draw a heart with the red Sharpie.
9. Next allow the glue or marker to dry for about five minutes.
10. Add in the Hershey Kisses until the jar is filled and you are done.

Sweetheart Vase

By: The Pretty Bee

Materials:

• a mason jar
• baker’s twine
• red felt
• a large needle
• glue or tape

Directions:

1. Cut red felt into small hearts.   Thread your needle with baker’s twine, and push it through the center of the heart.

2. Keep stringing hearts on the twine, leaving a few inches in between them.  Then secure one end of the twine to the jar with a dot of tacky glue or a bit of clear tape.  Wind the twine around the jar and secure the loose end at the top with your glue/tape.