Make It Monday: Yarn Hearts

I found this craft on the Family Fun website. And it looked like fun . . . for my family. So we made them for Valentine's Day.

Start by making glue. Stir 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan until smooth. Heat over medium until mixture is transparent and thickens. Let cool before using.

* Tip - Don't get distracted by the kids and walk away for 3 minutes during the cooking process. Your "glue" will be like jelly. Then you'll have to add water and whisk to get it back to a thinner consistency. Trust me.

 Gather your glue, heart cookie cutters, and yarn cut into 10 inch pieces.

 Dunk a piece of yarn into the glue.

 Once it's coated thoroughly, pull the yarn back out.

 Grab it by the end, and squeeze off the excess glue using your thumb and forefinger.

 Place your yarn into the cookie cutter on parchment paper.

 Repeat until the shape of the cookie cutter is filled in a thin layer. Press the yarn down gently.

 Allow to air dry for at least 24 hours or place in a warm oven for an hour or two.

How festive!

We chose to add string to ours and hang them in the kitchen window. I love seeing the kids' crafts as I stand at my sink - especially since I spend a lot of time there! 

This craft really would work better for older children. My kiddos did fine coating the yarn, but they wanted to wipe off their hands after each one. The glue is definitely messy - but that's part of the fun! After a little while, I dunked and squeegeed the yarn, and the kids placed them in the cookie cutters. They chose the design, and I got to be part of the process. Teamwork at its finest!

This could also be adapted for any occasion - eggs for Easter, bulb ornaments for Christmas, flowers for spring, ect. We're even thinking about red, white, and blue stars for the Fourth of July! Have fun experimenting!