Make It Monday: Coffee Filter Hearts

It was about time to update our kitchen window with colorful creations. Down came the Christmas-y winter decals and up went our new Valentine hearts. The process was both easy and fun! Two ingredients for a winning craft in our house. 

The inspiration came from our coffee filter butterflies. The kids were a little disappointed that there was no water spraying this time though, but mommy was happy that it didn't make a mess. Maybe next week I'll pick a super messy project to make up for it.

 All you need are a pair of scissors, coffee filters, dot markers, and a couple of cute helpers.

Fold the coffee filter in half and cut out a heart. 

 Fold up the heart any which way you want and dab away with the markers!

Make a pattern, color the entire heart 1 color, or dot random colors everywhere. No matter how you decorate it, you can't go wrong!

If the heart is folded a few times, make sure to turn it over to ensure the color bled all the way through.

It's so much fun, you'll want to make lots and lots of hearts!

But the real fun is in opening the hearts up and seeing the designs you made. We found butterflies, more hearts, letters and faces. Each time, we ooh-ed and aah-ed and the beautiful formations. I admit, I had just as much fun decorating the hearts as the kids did! And they look especially pretty on our window when the sun shines through, not that you can tell by looking at the picture I took after the sun started to go down and the sky became overcast. Oh well, I guess you'll just have to make them and experience their beauty yourself!

And even once the markers are all put away, you can still have fun with the filter scraps . . . 

It's the craft that keeps on giving.

Make It Monday: Paper Strip Pumpkins

Want to decorate your house with fall decorations that won't break the bank? Try these pumpkins that are not only super cute but frugal too!

Supplies:

cardstock                                   wood

scissors/paper cutter                string

hammer                                     tape

nail                                             pipe cleaner

 Start by cutting strips of paper out of card stock. Ours were 8.5" x .75". We used 14 strips for each pumpkin.

Using a hammer and nail, puncture a hole near each end of the strips. It was really easy using a piece of wood that already had a hole in it. (My hubby's so smart!) The kids had no trouble using a toy hammer and popping the nail right through. Of course, you could use a real hammer and punch more holes at a time, but where's the fun in that?

 Zac loved being included in the hammering. Smiles all around!

Lace the string (we used kite string) through the strips of paper and secure it with tape. To make it super easy, dab a little clear nail polish on the end to keep the string from fraying and to easily lace through. If you have a hard time, you can use the nail to feed the string through the holes.

String through the top holes. (Sorry, no picture.) Pull the string taut until the paper bows out. Tie a few knots in the top to keep it from sliding out.

Cut a piece of pipe cleaner and fold in two. Feed it through the holes to make a stem.

Fan out the strips evenly to make the pumpkin.

We made some in different sizes too. The smaller one on the right is two-toned to give it a different look. Zac even squished it a bit to change the look even more. 

Or maybe it's because toddlers are trouble and shouldn't have access to paper decorations.

To decorate a shelf, fan the strips half-way, leaving the back open.

And there you have it! Cute little pumpkins that cost a dime. To save them for next year, simply unfan and store. 

Happy Fall!