Valentines for (and by) kids

I really miss Jodi Levine. The intrepid editor of "Kids" magazine (now out of print) and the editorial director of kids content for Martha Stewart Living no longer seems to be working for the company; I couldn't find her name anywhere in the directory of editors at the front of the current issue of the magazine. (Update: Jodi is still at the company in product development and creating craft-related content for all platforms! Yay!)

Anyhow, I always used to look forward to the "Kids" magazine and to the wonderfully creative craft ideas inside, many of which can be adapted slightly to suit an adult's sensibilities. I am not a parent, but I am an uncle, and doing crafts with my nephew, Jacob, is always so much fun. I love children's imaginations and their whimsical ideas. As a creative person, I find them so inspiring and fresh: unfiltered, unedited.

Below are some Valentine's Day craft ideas for kids, perfect for a school-day celebration of the snuggly holiday.

Simple paper lunch bags take on an affectionate glow when they're embellished with découpage. Paper cutouts of hearts, roses, birds and butterflies accompany sweet messages. Inside the bags, tuck a package of small sweets, a handmade card or stickers.

This craft idea takes the notion of 'holding hands' to a new level of artistry. Kids can trace their hands and cut out the shape and then write loving messages on the palms. Simple, meaningful and adorable.

Heart cutouts take on the shape of flower petals when they're arranged around the 'stem' of a delicious lollipop. Glue the hearts in a circular formation to achieve the flower, leaving a small hole in the center to place the lollipop. You can fasten the candy to the paper using a touch of clear tape.

Spoonfuls of Love

Everything is better in spades. Love is no exception! An old Welsh tradition of giving a special spoon to your sweetheart can be beautifully updated for a classic but unique Valentine's Day token of affection. The tradition dates back to the 1600s in Wales when suitors would present their young ladies with elaborately designed spoons, often ones that they designed and carved themselves out of wood. The symbol of the spoon hints at bounty, sensuality and generosity, making it an ideal icon for Valentine's Day.

In the February, 2005, issue of Martha Stewart Living, the tradition is alluded to with suggestions on how to present and embellish the spoons being given. The editors suggest having the words "I love you" engraved on the well of the spoon, or the initials of the couple (or a pair of hearts) engraved at the head of the handle. Antique spoons can be extraordinarily beautiful and can be found in various grades of precious metals, from solid gold to silver-plated. Ancestral spoons like this also add a touch of history to the occasion, making it extra special.

In the article from the 2005 issue, the editors suggest packaging the spoon in a box or tying a pair of them together with velvet ribbon, as shown below. Another engraving idea is to put the year the spoon was given and then add to the collection each year with a new, unique spoon.
These are examples of traditional Welsh love spoons, which would often have been whittled out of wood by hand by the suitor and then worn around the neck as a charm, or perhaps displayed in the home, by the object of his affection. The designs often depicted interwoven hearts or symbols of fertility, such as flowers and birds.My friends at the Beekman Farm (Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer Purcell) have their own beautifully designed tin spoons, made by hand by a local tinsmith in Sharon Springs, New York. I thought these would make gorgeous Valentine's Day gifts in the vein of this Welsh tradition. They are based on the Victorian design of a dessert spoon. When I visited the farm last year, I was so impressed by the weight and size of the spoons. They're quite substantial and beautifully made. They are $20 each and are handmade using an old-fashioned spoon mold.
Designs on the back of the spoon are subtle but elegant.

Monday Hearts for Madalene

It's rare that a non-fiction book strikes a deep, emotional chord in me. But when true love is the focus, it holds me captive. Such was the case when I first discovered "Monday Hearts For Madalene." The book is a collection of 100 beautifully designed and photographed 'hearts' made of everyday objects, but the inspiration behind the project nearly had me in tears.

Page Hodel, a world-renowned DJ and contractor living in San Francsico, met the love of her life, Madelene Rodriguez, in 2005 and knew immediately their bond would never be broken. So powerful was her love for Madelene that she would leave a new heart for her each Monday morning, somewhere in their house, to help her start her week on a beautiful note.

Sadly, just a year after they met, Madalene died of ovarian cancer.

Rather than give up on life and love, Page decided to continue to make her hearts for Madalene and to spread that love to friends and family, and eventually to strangers across the globe.

"Although Madalene is no longer with me on this physical plane, in my heart her love is so alive and unchanged. In recognition of this unbelievably warm, kind, gentle soul, whose love changed my life so much, I wanted to find a way to share this beautiful feeling," says Page.

Anyone who would like to receive more information about the project, please visit mondayheartsformadalene.com. If you would like to purchase the book - a gorgeous collection of 100 of the finest heart-shaped creations - know that partial royalties will be given to the Women's Cancer Resource Center of Oakland, California, to help fight women's cancer. Also available is a set of note cards with the images and a selected group of first-edition prints will soon be available.

True love is so rare. The beauty it can spawn is simply unimaginable, as demonstrated by the imagery below. The inspirational effect on anyone who encounters its light can be transformative.

No Monday will there ever be

From now until eternity

That you don't have

A heart from me...

Simple Ideas to Love

I've got to admit that I get a little smitten this time of year. And why shouldn't I? I'm in love and feel blessed by amazing friends and family. While every day is an opportunity to let loved ones know how much you appreciate them, Valentine's Day is the ultimate excuse to let down your guard and admit your gushy feelings.

If you're anything like me, you enjoy the hunt for the loveliest Valentine's ideas and the search for that perfect little treasure for your sweetheart. But elaborate displays of pomp and circumstance on Valentine's Day can leave even the most romantic among us feeling a little spoiled by the sweetness of it all, so I always approach the holiday from a more subtle angle. I play it coy and keep it simple. (Love itself, despite its legendary status as the emotional cornerstone of human history, is simple at its core.)

There is no one who does Valentine's Day better than the editors at Martha Stewart Living. I've searched a multitude of publications over the years and have found a few delicious ideas elsewhere, but I always come back to my adored and lovingly-kept February issues of Living for the inspirational ideas I crave: classic, timeless and fittingly lovable.

Below I've gathered what I consider to be among Martha's simplest and most beautiful Valentine's Day ideas. I hope they make you all mushy inside!

How cute are these handmade doilies? They look even more alluring when grouped together in various sizes and overlapped on a table set for tea. Here's how to make them:

1. Position a prefolded square paper napkin so that the closed corner faces you.

2. Fold right corner toward left corner and flatten, forming a triangle.

3. Fold left corner toward triangle's longest side and flatten, forming a narrower triangle.

4. Using scissors, cut a convex arc from triangle to create top of half a heart.

5. Cut off bottom of triangle from left to right to create lower heart half, leaving at least 1/4 inch intact on right edge. (Left side of triangle will be center of a heart.) Unfold.

6. Repeat with napkins in several colors, varying position of cuts to create doilies in different sizes.

This practical valentine befits your favorite bookworm.

To make the diminutive page keeper: Create a template of a heart, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Cut out with a utility knife, and trace onto heavy card stock. Copy it at 80 percent, cut out, and trace onto decorative paper, such as wrapping or origami paper. Cut out both hearts, and use a glue stick to secure smaller patterned heart to center of the larger one; let dry. Finally, trace bottom half of inner heart with a utility knife, cutting through card stock beneath. Then your valentine can slip pages between the hearts.

Warm someone up by adding a handwritten note to a tea bag. Cut two hearts out of red construction paper using a heart-shaped crafter's hole punch (available at crafts stores). Use a metallic pen to write a short message on one of the hearts. Next, remove a tea-bag tag and, at the end of the string, affix two hearts, back-to-back, using double-sided tape or a stapler. Package bags to give as a present, or steep one in hot water and serve.

Offer loved ones homemade treats wrapped in paper that echoes your heartfelt sentiments. All you need to transform plain waxed paper into lovely gift wrap is some tissue paper, a heart-shaped craft punch, and an iron. Use the paper to wrap cakes, stacks of cookies, and other goods fresh from your oven. Then finish each package with some waxed twine and a colorful gift tag. Fold a piece of tissue paper in half three times, forming eight layers. Using a heart-shaped craft punch, cut out the hearts. Cover the surface of an ironing board with paper towels; place a sheet of waxed paper on top. Arrange hearts on waxed paper, and cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Cover with more paper towels. Run an iron, set to medium heat, lightly over the layers to set.

Propagating seeds is a little like nurturing relationships: The more attention and care they get, the more likely they are to flourish and thrive. Give the gardeners in your life flower seeds with little pots that they can take root in. Put seeds in plain white coin envelopes available at stationery stores, and label with an eraser stamp. Or use a rubber stamp, or make a heart with thumbprints. Put growing instructions on the back, noting when seedlings need to be transplanted to larger vessels or outdoors.

Flowers and candy are the touchstones of courtship and romance. But handing over a bouquet and a box of chocolates isn't the only way to show you're sweet on someone. The intense reds of tulips such as 'Red Nova' and 'Pallada' shown above will prove that your affection has not waned. And the profusion of spicy cinnamon candies lining the vase is an elegant display of your heartfelt emotion. Use two vases of similar height and different diameters. Set the smaller vessel inside the larger one. This creates a "mote" of space to fill with cinnamon hearts. Fill the smaller glass inside with water and some Flora Life and cut the stems of your tulips to the appropriate height. Set the flowers inside and leave your crimson creation on your sweetie's nightstand.This is another variation on the same project, above. Pastel candy hearts proclaiming "Class act" and "Be true" and tulips in complementary colors, such as creamy 'Cheers,' pale-pink 'New Design,' and 'Apricot Beauty,' can be used instead of cinnamon hearts to onvey your feelings with adorable words and phrases. Choose light-coloured tulips or roses to match the pastel candies.The iconic shape of the heart is given even more gravitas when it's designed with roses. Use glasses of the same height and fill them with water. Choose roses of varying sizes and colours and cut the stems to the appropriate length before setting them inside the water. Arrange the vessels as a centerpiece on the dining table in the shape of a heart for a memorable and dramatic effect.

Give petite flowers a larger presence by arranging them in the form of a heart. With this centerpiece there are enough blooms for every guest to take a cluster or two home. To ensure that the design stands out, use short, small vessels, such as eggcups, shown here. In this instance, a vibrant collection of ranunculuses with all-white details lends impact and contrast. Candles placed inside the heart shape will showcase the flowers into the evening.

Store-bought chocolate repackaged in a homemade wrapper -- the underside of which reveals a handwritten love note-tastes doubly delicious. Download the design, color-print, and cut out. To embellish the motif, dot with glue and sprinkle with glitter. Wrap around a foil-covered bar; affix with tape.The design of the template is a lovely Victorian heart motif.

When you've got beautiful paper to work with, any package can look elegant. Use strips of leftover paper in shades of crimson and white, or with pretty floral motifs, to carefully wrap the boxes and containers of your Valentine's Day gifts.

For more ideas, visit MarthaStewart.com. You'll find desserts, chocolate and more. It's also not too late to sign up for the Valentine's Day newsletter to get inspirational ideas mailed directly to you!~

No other magazine on the planet does holidays like Martha Stewart Living. None but Martha's go to the same lengths to achieve the best in crafts and cooking on special occasions. I decided to have a look back at the last ten years of the February issues of Martha Stewart Living to peruse the Valentine's Day Good Things, heart-shaped treats and paper crafts and choose some of my favourites to display here. I've indicated which issue each craft project or recipe can be found in, but I'm sure many of them can also be located at marthastewart.com.

Ten year's worth of Valentine's Day inspiration.Festive Fasteners: Feburary, 2006. Tug at your valentine's heartstrings with an embellished envelope. Cut out the hearts from coloured card stock using a specialty hole punch. Poke two holes into each heart with a needle, then sew the hearts onto dual-capacity envelopes using the needle and silk beading cord. Secure the stitches with a double knot on the backside of the flaps. After inserting the Valentine, close the envelope by winding a 5-inch length of cord in a figure-eight motion around the hearts.

Paper quill Valentine: February, 2002. Classic Valentine messages never go out of style. You can shape individual strips of paper, curling the ends as you would a ribbon, to form letters that resemble calligraphy. Use carefully placed dabs of craft glue to hold each letter in place on a card. The three-dimensional effect creates lovely depth, texture and shadow to the card.

Poetic containers: February, 2002. Transform simple cardboard boxes into beautiful containers for Valentine's Day gifts. These boxes can be purchased at craft stores. Cover them with red paper, or paint them red, and then attach clusters of folded paper roses (also available at craft stores) with craft glue.

Hidden Messages: February, 2009. As early as the 1790s, sweethearts exchanged "puzzle purses." A poem runs along the edges, starting outside the folded square. The text, embellished with designs, is revealed as the card is opened. For the how-to go to marthastewart.com/valentines-day.

Marbleized cards and gift wrap: February, 2005. The dreamy curves of marbleizing lend themselves to a number of decorative paper crafts. Marbleized paper makes excellent gift wrap and cards. Here, a heart cut-out accommodates a Valentine wish. A gift tag, fitted with a grommet and twine, adorns a package wrapped in paper with a swirl pattern. The how-to can be found on page 104 of this issue. Doily craft: February, 2004. Doilies supply a bouquet of paper posies to decorate Valentine's Day cards. Cut out a mixture of blossoms - Queen Anne's lace, daisies, camellias - and glue them to the front of a folded piece of card stock paper in an alternate colour. Snip, arrange and glue green strips of paper to create the stems and leaves and affix the paper blossoms at their peaks. The flowers can also be painted various shades using a gouache or acryllic paint.
Copy Craft: February, 2006. To create your own artful wrapping paper, just push a button - the secret to these nature-themed designs is a standard black-and-white photocopier. Start by placing a flower, thin slice of fruit, or another shapely, light-coloured object (darker tones don't reproduce well) between sheets of clear acetate. Center the sandwiched object on the copier glass, cover with white paper and copy onto white or coloured paper, enlarging or reducing the image as desired. Wrap gifts with the paper and finish them with a sheer satin ribbon.
Bonbon-filled heart baskets: February, 2002. Surprise a loved-one by hanging a heart-shaped basket filled with candy on his doorknob or near his desk. The how-to instructions for this craft can be found on page 64 of this issue.Surprising stamps: February, 2006. Leafy vegetables make great-tasting salads - and sumptuous floral-shaped stamps, too! Here, the end of a head of Treviso radicchio yields a roselike print when used as a stamp. Cut off the stem end of the radicchio with a sharp knife and stand stem on a paper towel, cut side down, for about 10 minutes to drain it of moisture. Press the cut side into a large stamp pad in shades of red and pink and then stamp it onto cards, stationery and more, blotting on paper towel between stamps. You can vary the stamp shapes with other leafy greens like Romaine lettuce or even brussels sprouts cut in half.

FOOD IDEAS:

Cutouts with Charm: February, 2007. Feeling softhearted this Valentine's Day? Reach for some marshmallows and transform them into confections of affection. Start by lightly greasing a heart-shaped petit-four cutter or aspic cutter with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Cut several marshmallows in half horizontally and then press the cutter into the center of each one. Float the marshmallows and heart-shaped cutouts on homemade hot chocolate. (The recipe can be found on page 62 of this issue.)

A message in chocolate: February, 2003. Sweeten your Valentine's Day morning by topping a cup of coffee with love. Spoon a bit of foamed cream on top, and use a squeeze bottle to draw a heart shape with room-temperature chocolate sauce - store-bought or homemade - just before serving. Make sure the foam is dense and that the syrup is thin. Serve immediately; the image will only last as long as the foam does. This trick works with cappuccino and latte or hot chocolate topped with whipped cream.

Sweet Pancakes: February, 2000. Although cooking breakfast for your love should be a treat in itself, you can make your feelings even more clear by creating heart-shaped pancakes. They require nothing more than your favourite batter and a pastry bag with a small round tip. To form a heart, trace the outline of the shape into the hot pan then quickly fill the center without breaking the line.

Message Sent: February, 2009. These sugar cookies, covered in royal icing, bear messages in text-message lingo. Use an interchangable letter stamp and a paper towel soaked in one area with food colouring as the 'ink pad.' Slip the sweets into glassine bags and sew along the tops to seal them.

Heart-shaped cookies: February, 2000. Give standard sugar cookies some flare by sandwiching them with jam or topping them with sprinkles or coloured sanding sugar. The recipes for these can be found in the recipe section of this issue.

FLOWERS:

A heart full of carnations: February, 2001. Kevin Sharkey created this beautiful floral centerpiece, which was featured on the cover of this issue, by using heart-shaped floral foam, dampened by submerging it in water for about an hour. Use a variety of carnations in a similar tone and cut the stems about one inch down from the flower. This form used 60 flowers. Start in the middle and work your way out, placing the flowers into the form, maintaining the curves of the heart and keeping the colours balanced. Sit it on a tray if using it as a centerpiece or hang it on a door once the form has been dried. Every four days, place it in a sink and gently water it from above and let it drain. It could last for up to two weeks.

Sweet-heart arrangements: February, 2004. Flowers and candy are the touchtones of courtship and romance. Combine the two in this cachepot arrangement of tulips and candy hearts. The candies, proclaiming such virtues as "Class Act"and "Be True," surround an arrangement of equally lovely tulips. Place a small vase inside another that's taller and at least one inch wider. If the rims don't align, add candy to the outer vase to eliminate the height difference. Fill the gap between the two vases with candy: heart candies here, or cinnamon hearts for a red bouquet. Fill the smaller, inner vase with water and arrange the flowers within it.