Block Cards

I enjoy crafts but I also enjoy easy and cheap ones :) I saw this in a magazine and thought "finally! something we can do without having to go out and buy stuff!" We used this technique for making Kye's Valentine's Day cards, but really you could use it for any occasion.

All you need is some paper, crayons, and blocks. Easy enough? It took me AGES to figure out how to make the blocks stay still so I could make a rubbing of them on the paper with the crayons and Zach came over and figured out how to solve the problem right away. Surround your phrase with other blocks to keep it still! It worked great!!!

I did all the rubbings since Kye is too young but with an older child this would be super fun and entertaining. I rubbed the "outside" of the cards with cute Valentine's Day phrases ("SWAT," "Te Amo," "Be Mine," "So Sweet," and "I Love You") then thought it'd be a sweet touch to rub "Love Kye" on the inside of all the cards. After the rubbings were complete it was time for Kye to decorate! I gave him Valentine's Day colored crayons (reds, pinks, and purples) and heart stickers then let him go to town!

We made them for the grandparents, aunts and uncles, and even the great-grandparents! While I only heard from a couple of people who got them, I think they turned out pretty adorable, don't you?

Of course anything made by Kye is precious ;)

I'd love to see the block letter cards you come up with!

Valentine's Day Box

I love holidays! And I love making them festive and fun for my family! Even if I have a baby who won't remember any of it, I still get into it!

Growing up I remember my mom making a Valentine's Day box. She'd pull it out every year when Valentine's Day was getting close and we'd make things for each other and put them in the box along with any little gifts or cards or candy and such. Then on Valentine's Day we'd open it!

Simple idea, I know. But it's such a great one because you SEE this box sitting out and it makes you more excited to open it on the BIG day AND it makes you want to buy or make little things to put in it!

This year I made our family's first Valentine's Day box!

I went to Office Depot and asked them for an extra copy paper box then went to Hallmark and bought some cute festive paper. It was a pretty big pain to wrap the whole thing so it looked good but I think it did a pretty good job! I also put paper on the inside so you wouldn't see an empty box before we put stuff in it. As Kye gets older I plan to let him decorate it with stickers and such but for now this will do! And Zach cut the hole in the top for me too!

For Valentine's Day we buy each other cheap little things and this is a great way to encourage giving but also to find creative ways to keep the gifts small enough to fit in the box!