Candy Free Valentine Idea: Flower seeds

We can't seem to leave the idea of flowers behind for Valentines Day. This year our little Valentine tokens are again candy free.

We made little sacks out of burlap, tied at the top with red ribbon. The sacks are made from some burlap scraps I had - sewn together with a simple red zigzag stitch. They were very very easy and quick to make.

On each little sack is an appliqued red cotton heart.

On the label it says 'You are my sunshine'.

Can you guess what is inside?

SUNFLOWER SEEDS! What kid doesn't like watching a giant sunflower grow?

I had thought about making heart shaped seed bombs - but I was so worried about doing them wrong and harming the seeds - I didn't want to send out anything that wouldn't grow! I think we will experiment with seed bombs this summer.

You can read about our previous flowery themed valentine gifts here:
Valentine Egg Carton Flowers
Valentine Lollypop Flowers

Tutorial: Valentine Egg Carton Flowers

I've been wracking my brain for cute ideas for valentines. Last year we made Lollypop Flowers. This year I decided not to make candy gifts - but how to package a little valentine something in a cute a crafty way? My brain seems to be stuck on flower crafts - this year we made our flowers from egg cartons.

You will need:
- paper egg carton
- green paint
- colored card or construction paper
- glue dots
- green pipe cleaners
- labels for your valentine messages (we made ours with a heart paper punch and added little bit of bling)
- scissors

1) Paint the cups on your egg carton green. We found it was easier to paint the carton before cutting it up.

2) Once the paint is dry cut the egg carton up so you are only left with the cups.

Make a hole in the bottom of each cup (I just pushed the closed scissor blades through the cup.)

3) Cut your heart petals.

Score the base of each petal by drawing a curve around a egg cup. 

Fold the scored line carefully and the petal should curve/fit nicely into the egg cup.

Make sure any pen line is on the underside of the flower or use a pen the same color as the card you are using.

4) Put a glue dot on the back of each petal and stick into your egg cup. (NOTE: The girls LOVE to glue - but glue dots help to keep the spread of glue under control. They also instantly stick - so no sliding or holding things together until the glue dries)

5) Wrap your little gift in a little bit of tulle or netting. Pull the netting through the hole in the egg cup - securing your little gift in the middle of the flower.

6) Bend your pipe cleaner into a leaf shape and thread your label on.

Wind the pipe cleaner tightly around the tulle + trim.

They do look cute - and you could adjust this idea and put lollypops in the middle of these flowers too. Or change the color of the petals - here is a yellow flower filled with potential Easter candy!

 

Next year I hope to give myself more time to come up with something outside of flowers!

There are hundreds of kid friendly crafts you can do with egg cartons. Just Google 'egg carton crafts' or 'egg carton flowers' and you will come up with a whole host of wonderful ideas.