The opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics is Friday, so I’ve got both the Olympics and Valentine’s Day on the brain. Using Apple Barrel Craft Paint, I whipped up this easy Valentine’s Day card with teachers in mind.
I became a Teen Librarian at a public library really close to a high school this year. I know my quasi-class of teens by name and have good days and bad days with them, just like a teacher. When I designed this Valentine, I wanted to make something I think my fellow librarians and teacher friends would appreciate. And as a crafter, I wanted to share something cute and fun too!
Supplies
white cardstock, 12×12 inches
sponge spouncer
scissors
tweezers (optional)
2 inch tall heart stencils, like Plaid’s Plain Jane 2″ letter stencils
Apple Barrel craft paint in Olympic colors*
waxed paper or silicone mat (optional)
*red, black, blue, yellow and green – I used the gloss finish because I knew it would make the card really pop!
Directions
Start your project by cutting a 12×12 inch piece of cardstock in half, and then fold that in half. If you’re using the same stencils as me, the hearts punch right out of the stencil. I think these heart punch outs are intended to be recycled, but I wanted to use them as reverse stencils. After all, they’re for making rings!
Squeeze about a teaspoon of paint onto your work surface. I love my silicon mat, but waxed paper or a recycled jar lid work great for this too!
Dab your spouncer into the paint and press out some of the excess paint onto the mat/waxed paper as shown. Hold down the heart stencil with one hand and paint all along the edges of your heart, reloading your paint as needed.
One of the great things about the Apple Barrel Craft Paint I used is how quickly it dries. Make sure to let your painted heart sit for a second before removing the cardboard stencil. I found using a tweezer to remove the stencil super helpful!
You don’t even need to worry about using more than one paint spouncer on this project by the way. The paint cleans up so easily, switching colors is as simple as rinsing out the first color, squeezing out excess water, and grabbing the next color. And speaking of color, please note that the arrangement of the Olympic rings and their color is important. Each color symbolizes something special.
So one more time, here’s the step-by-step process for painting the rings:
1. Place stencil
2. Paint around the stencil with your spouncer.
3. Carefully remove the stencil (using a tweezer if you like).
4. Place your next stencil and repeat steps 1-3 again. Remember: when you reuse an already-painted stencil, make sure it’s dry before using it for another color.
Add your message
When the outside of your card is dry, you can take a pen or a thin paint brush and write your Valentine an Olympic-y message in it. I designed this card with educators in mind, but I’ve got a message for you to use for a general sweetheart as well…
Thank you for being my champion.
You’re the champion of my heart.
As a librarian, I can tell you that if one of my kids brought me a Valentine like this, I’d be in the back room bawling for like an hour from joy. It’s a really, truly amazing thing when the kids you work with or their parents take the time to let you know your work matters. It doesn’t happen all that often and means so much!
Anybody out there have a tear-worthy story about getting a Valentine from a student, library patron, or kid you mentor? I’d love to hear it!
Visit the Plaid Crafts blog for more DIY ideas, sign up for their weekly newsletter for tutorials and special deals, and follow Plaid on Pinterest to find some great project inspiration. And if you want even more ideas for Valentine’s crafts in a school setting, you should check out ideas from other bloggers crafting with Apple Barrel paint this week. Very inspiring!
This post was written as part of a campaign with The Blueprint Social. All opinions are my own.
Clever idea! Thanks for sharing.