We crafted some cute little tokens of affection out of clay for Valentine's Day. We plan on passing them out to friends along with some handwritten Valentines.
To make the clay, I modified a recipe from this book:
First, combine 1 cup of cornstarch, 2 cups of baking soda, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat for about 5 minutes until the mixture resembles mashed potatoes. Put a tablespoon of water and a few drops of food coloring into each of 3 or 4 bowls. Divide clay into smaller batches. Add each batch of clay to a bowl, and knead it until the color is evenly distributed. Cover each bowl with a damp towel until you are ready to work with the clay.
Then, roll small handfulls of clay into balls, and press them flat into circular pancake-type shapes. Then cut out your hearts with a heart cookie cutter. Gracie was a big fan of the rolling, pressing, and cutting -- perfect jobs for little toddler hands!
Next, press your messages into the clay using small alphabet stamps. This is just where my young speller, Jack, is at right now -- it was the perfect job for him!
Let your clay hearts dry overnight. You can add some color to the conversation using fine-tipped pens. (These pens worked for us.)
Nothing makes me happier than heartfelt sentiments combined with hands-on fun. I hope these will make cute little keepsakes for friends and family -- they were certainly made with love!
Speaking of love, I also LOVE these fruit sticker Valentines! What an awesome (and healthy) way to spread the sweetness!
