Valentine’s Day Garland

I have definitely received a huge dose of creative inspiration to kick off 2014 since discovering Pinterest, and my kids will be benefiting from all of this with our best Valentine season yet! One very unexpected project (which I am perfectly delighted by) is the Homemade Valentine Garland that I made with my 5 year old.

Walking through the gift wrap section of a local store, my eye caught a glimpse of a Valentine’s gift bag that was simply scrumptious eye candy for a person who loves the colour pink (me!). Small circles side by side, row by row, with a different coloured heart inside each circle …. the garland idea popped into my head immediately, and I purchased a couple of $2.00 gift bags to get started right away.

After carefully cutting out several circles, I let my daughter in on the idea. We would take each one and sew them together using hemp cord (often used for bracelet making crafts). She was thoroughly delighted by the idea of doing the sewing herself. I used a seam ripper to punch two little holes in the top of each circle, so she had holes that could easily guide little hands and simplify the work of stringing the circles together.

The completed garland was a thing of beauty! I was amazed by how this little pop of colour could add such cheer to a room. I displayed our garland on our dining room hutch which is clearly visible when I enter the house, and I pass by it several times a day. Each time I see it, it just warms my heart! Sewing is something that brings me great crafting joy, and doing this little craft with my youngest daughter while my other two were out for the afternoon really felt special.

It is such a thrill to find inspiration in unexpected places. I will be keeping my eyes open for festive gift bags from now on … I know that I will certainly find other opportunities to make this simple type of craft in celebration of other holidays in the coming year !