Ever wonder what to do with those colorful little paper valentines every third-grader brings home after the class Valentine’s Day party? Here are a few ideas for putting them to good (re)use…
• Placemats made with contact paper, used valentines, wrapping paper, or ribbon scraps, and anything else that suits a flat work of art make a lovely gift or memento of the day gone past. Visit Kaboose for easy-to-follow instructions. This project is great for kids of all ages, with a little help from an adult. Careful patterns or haphazard scatters of color and design work equally well when creating these recycled placemats for youngsters.
• Bookmarks are also easy to construct using these little valentines. Have several young friends join together to make a whole collection of festive bookmarks and donate them to the local public library or to a nearby school as a belated Valentine’s Day present. Handmade, kid-crafted design and artwork make these playful place-holders a real delight.
- How-To: Simply cut cards to size and glue pieces to assorted bookmark-shaped pieces of cardboard cut from cereal boxes or other household paper products. Laminate them or cover with contact paper to ensure long-term usefulness. Any length or thickness will work.
• Postcards. Hunt around the house for large index cards to cut to postmaster-friendly postcard size (minimum of 5 inches by 3.5 inches, maximum of 6 inches by 4.25 inches). Glue or tape valentines to one side or create a collage with lots of different paper bits, and then send this thoughtful postcard to a loved one. Who says valentines are just for the month of February?
Valentine’s Day Card Reuse Crafts article by Green Living Ideas.
