The story behind it
By TurkeyMom · February 2015
Ages2–6 yrs
Prep25 min
Activity20 min
Leveleasy
MessLow
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class
Glue clear contact paper hearts onto cereal-box hearts with the sticky side up. Kids press pom poms on, then the hearts are hole-punched and tied with Valentine ribbon into a garland. No glue for the kids to handle, so it works as a toddler Valentine craft.
⚠️ Safety first
- Pom poms are small and a choking hazard for toddlers. Supervise closely and keep them away from children who still mouth objects.
- An adult (or an older child) does the cutting with scissors and the hole punching.
- Hang the finished garland out of reach of young children. Ribbon and string are a strangulation risk.
Before the kids arrive
- Fold a sheet of clear contact paper, trace 3 medium hearts on it and cut through both layers to get 6 hearts. An older child could help with the cutting.
- Use the same heart outline to cut 6 hearts from an old cereal box or cardboard.
Steps
Peel the backing off a contact paper heart.
Glue the non-sticky side onto a cardboard heart, leaving the sticky side facing up.
Press pom poms onto the sticky heart.
Place the pom poms as close together as you can so the heart looks full.
Count, sort colors or make patterns with the pom poms as you go.
Adult: punch a small hole at the top of each heart.
Thread a Valentine ribbon through each hole and tie it.
Tie the hearts along a long ribbon and hang the garland, for example over the fireplace.
Tips
- Peel the backing from the contact paper only when you're ready to start the craft.from the author
- Fold the contact paper before tracing, so each cut gives you two hearts.from the author
- The sticky part of the contact paper was strong enough to hold all the pom poms together.from the author
- I encouraged the kids to place all the pom poms as close as possible so the hearts will have a fuller look.from the author
- With the contact paper doing the sticking, this instantly becomes a toddler Valentine craft. The kids can decorate and pattern to their hearts' content.from the author
- Our mantle looks so festive, colorful and gorgeous.from the author
Make it your own
- Turn it into a math activity: counting, skip counting, colors, patterning and addition with the pom poms.
- String the hearts on red-and-white twine instead of ribbon.
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