Kid Valentine's Day Craft: Clothespin Butterfly

As much as Mr. & I don't celebrate Valentine's Day in any grand way, I do always end up doing some sort of craft or class gift idea with the girls.  It's a fun way for us spend time and be creative together.  It's also a good time to revisit  what it means to be a good friend and different ways to show kindness.  I think it's the teacher in me that is always searching for new ideas and this one was adapted from  Crafty Morning blog.  In the past we've decorated special cookies, made our own valentines day cards, and last year we made You Make My Heart Bounce treat bags.  Halie, grade 5, is no longer interested but Anya is still happy to enjoy crafting with me.  This year she wrote cards and little packs of Smarties for everyone in her class but she also decided to make "special" gifts for her best friends.  

Materials You Will Need:

• * Hugs & Kisses (250 gr.) - we used two bags to make 5 butterflies 

• Self-adhesive googly eyes (tiny size) 

• Wooden clothespins

• Pipe Cleaners (we used red)

• Snack size Ziplock bags

• Red paint (tempera or acrylic)

• Black Sharpie

*You can also use M & Ms, Skittles, Smarties, Red Hearts, Swedish Berries (we choose to use wrapped candy for hygiene reasons, but I don't think the kids would care either way)

Steps:
I always encourage the kids to do as many of the steps on their own, regardless of how the final product turns out.  I really value the process much more so then the product.

1.  Paint the clothespins.  A. did two coats and let them dry overnight.  

2.  Add a smiley face and googly eyes on the top portion of the clothes pin.

3.  Fill the small bags with candy, we used 18 hugs & kisses in each bag.  We were able to make 5 butterflies from two bags.  

4.  Wrap a pipe cleaner around the bag,  I had to  help Anya with this step.  Fold the Ziploc seal to the back and then wrap the pipe cleaner dividing the bag into two halves.  Twist as the top, leaving equal lengths on both side to be curled into antennas.

                         

   

5.  Slide the top of the clothes pin between the two halves of the butterfly.  The opening/closing portion of the clothespin is below so that it can hold a Valentine card.

Happy Valentines Day!