*Stained Glass Hearts*

When the urge to wax romantic strikes, these melted-crayon valentines really fit the bill. Parents will need to do a little ironing here, but shaving the crayons is a job that kids can really put their hearts into.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
	Crayons (light and bright colors work best)
	Handheld pencil sharpener
	Waxed paper
	Large paper grocery bags
	Ironing board and iron
	Scissors
	Permanent marker
Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Peel the paper off the crayons. Use a pencil sharpener to shave them over a large sheet of waxed paper, spreading the shavings thinly and leaving a wide blank border around the edges of the paper.

2. Place a flattened paper bag on your ironing board, then set the crayon-covered waxed paper on top of it. Cover the shavings with a second piece of waxed paper and then another flattened bag. Heat the iron on the medium or wool setting, then slowly and evenly press the surface of the top bag (a parent's job). Continue ironing until the crayon shavings are evenly melted (peek under the bag to check).

3. Once the waxed paper is cool, your child can cut out a bunch of hearts. If he opts for larger hearts, he can use a permanent marker to print greetings directly on them. Smaller confetti-style hearts are great for filling store-bought cards.

Variations:
For an extra-special surprise, hang a stained-glass heart in this simple stand-up frame. To make one, cut two 4-inch squares out of colored card stock. Cut matching 2 ¼-inch-wide circles from the centers of the squares and discard them. Now cut ½-inch notches in each square as illustrated in the diagrams at right. Fit the squares together so that the notches interlock, as shown, and use thread and tape to hang a heart in the opening.

**************************************************

*Woven Heart Basket

This lovely little project starts out as a set of oddly shaped pieces of paper. When properly woven together, however, the pieces reveal their true identity -- a charming basket whose decorative hearts magically appear when it's finished. It's just the thing for storing Valentine's cards and candies.


 Watch a step-by-step video demonstration of this craft.

http://familyfun.go.com/utilities/global/feature/fftv-archive-video-player/fftv-archive-video-player.html?video=woven_heart_basket

CRAFT MATERIALS:
	Printable patterns (see Step 1)
	White or colored paper
	Markers or crayons (if using white paper)
	Scissors
	Glue stick (optional)
Time needed: About 1 Hour

1. Print two copies of this template. If you are printing the templates on colored paper, print one of them on pink paper and the other on red; otherwise, print both templates on white paper and color them as you wish with markers or crayons.

2. Fold the printouts in half. Carefully cut out the shapes and cut along the dotted lines. The weaving steps will be a bit easier if, as a crafter has pointed out in her comments below, you cut a bit further up the inner dotted lines than indicated. Go slowly -- the more precise your cuts at this step, the better the basket will look.

3. Time to start weaving. Orient the two halves, still folded, at right angles to each other, as shown in the photograph. Be sure that the "bumps" on the strips on each half point away from you.

4. Now thread the left-hand strip furthest away from you through the right-hand strip furthest away from you.

5. Thread the right-hand strip furthest from you through the next left-hand strip, the one second-furthest away from you.

6. Now thread the next left-hand strip, the one third-furthest away from you, through the right-hand strip furthest away from you.

7. Thread the right-hand strip furthest away from you through the left-hand strip second-furthest away from you.

8. Finally, thread the left-hand strip closest to you through the right-hand strip furthest away from you. Whew! One pass down, four to go.

9. Snug the right-hand strip up towards the curved end of the left template as far as it will go and smooth everything down (a process you should repeat after each round of weaving).

10. Thread the right-hand strip second-furthest away from you through the left-hand strip furthest from you. See the pattern? Continue alternating your weaves either through or around the other strips until all the strips are finished.

11. Glue on a paper handle if you like.