Valentine Candy Mason Jar and Easy Cards

Valentines already?  I bet you thought I forgot…
I’ve been busy taking a break from work. Taking some time off to blow the snow and make lots of pots of stew among other things.

Maybe because Valentines is on Saturday this year, or the day after winter break starts or maybe it’s just the way of middle school but we didn’t make Valentines this year! Yikes! It’s the first year since preschool.

However, I have some sweeties that I want to give cards to so I made these 2 fast cards this morning. Super easy and quick.

And also-- this jar full of candies. I made this project as a prototype for work for a Christmas present but I really think it works as a Valentines gift.

It's pretty self explanatory – but I made a document for my words- you can write your own words. The labels are 2 3/4" by 1 3/8" and print out on sheet with cutting lines.
Wrap them around the Hershey's Miniatures chocolate candy bars and tape them on the back with clear tape.
Put the candies in a quart mason jar and decorate the lid with washi tape and decorative paper. Use string or ribbon to attach a card stock heart shaped tag labeled "The many things I love about you."

The cards:

Eye Love You
Use any size card stock base folded in half (mine measures 5.5” by 4”).
Cut a front piece from pretty paper that is slightly smaller than the card.
Use a piece of scrap paper to cut a heart shape out (you know fold it in half and cut the shape out).
Make sure it fits on the card.

Then trace around the heart shape on the pretty paper and use a craft knife to trim the center out.
Place the pretty paper on the card – trace lightly around the inside heart shape.  Set the paper aside.

Add glue to the drawn heart shape and put the eyes inside the drawn line.
Allow the glued eyes to dry then use glue stick to add the pretty paper.
Add the words on a separate piece of paper (hand written or computer).

I like you sew much!
Use any size card stock base folded in half (mine measures 4.25” by 4.25”).

Cut a front piece from card stock that is slightly smaller than the card.

Use a piece of scrap paper to cut a heart shape out (you know fold it in half and cut the shape out). Make sure it fits on the card.

Trace lightly around the heart shape on the smaller card stock sheet.  Then mark around the heart shape about every .25”.

On a cork coaster, fun foam, or a magazine (something soft and protective of the surface your working on) use a push pin to make holes around the hearts shape on the .25” marks.

Use 3 strands of embroidery floss, Perle cotton or string (or yarn) to do a running stitch on the paper. I doubled up the stitches around the center of the heart to make it look even. Tie the strings off in the back and trim the ends.

Add glue stick to the back then add it to the card base. Add your message

to the front:

You’re sew cute!
I love you sew much!
I’m sew excited we’re friends!

Grow Something!

I had a great assignment awhile back to test growing plants from vegetable scraps. While they don't grow into actual food producing plants (well, maybe the garlic), they make for a great project in the dead of winter.

When possible, use organic produce and wash the produce very well. Check the water every day and change it every 3-4 days as it will start to stink- especially the garlic.

Also, have a spray water bottle on hand to mist the plants occasionally too.

We tried garlic, scallions, lettuce, celery, carrots, ginger root, avocado pits, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, beet tops and basil. I'm just going to show you a few of the kitchen scraps we tried.

Yams

Wash the yams well then cut them in half.

Place the cut surface in a shallow dish of water.

Little spuds will appear about a week later.

Leaves will shoot out in about 2 weeks.

They can get quite long and lush.

Beets
Start with whole beets; cut the green tops off about .5" from the top of each beet. Cut the beet top off, leaving about a half-inch of beet.

Rinse the beet tops, then place them in a shallow dish of water.

Little shoots will appear within several days.

Basil

(At least 2 weeks for roots to start)

Make a clean cut for each stalk from the original plant; remove/pinch off the larger leaves from the top (so the plant energy doesn't go into the growing the leaves).

The bottom of the stalk will get dark as if it’s rotten before it shoots out little roots.

Do more than one as not all the stalks will root.

Celery

Cut the celery stalks off about 3 inches from the bottom.

Place the celery bottom in a shallow dish of water.

Leaves will grow out of the center in a about a week- tiny roots will also show in the water.
Peel away any really rotting stalks.

 

Garlic

Set several peeled cloves closely together in a small container and cover the bottoms with water. Roots will appear within the first few days, and then sprouts will come out the top within a week.

Change the water often! Stinky!

I planted ours in dirt and it lasted for quite a while.

So as I wrote- these aren't about planting seeds but rather using the energy trapped inside the bulbs, tubers, and cuttings and watching it release. I was surprised how long some things took (we planted a ginger root that took forever) and then how quickly other things took off.

Here are our crazy fast white potatoes!