Happy Valentine’s Week! I’ve been trying to think of some nice things I could make for my little Valentines here, and I took some time to get crafty this week. I came up with 3 projects, and I thought I’d share them with you!
My Quilty Valentine
A few years ago, I made fabric valentines for Dave and Anabelle, and I wanted to do something similar this year. I decided to make a patchwork valentine, and it came out imperfect, but pretty cute!
I started by piecing the “cover” using spare scraps. Then I did a little embroidered message on the inside panel, using a water soluble pen to mark guidelines. (I realized the running stitch border was better added after quilting, so I removed it before I quilted the layers.)
Finally, I used the “sandwich method to join the layers, and I did a running stitch border around the message. Et voila!
One of the lovely things about these little fabric Valentines is their permanence. The first ones I made tend to turn up in unexpected places from time to time, reminding me of the sentiments I was feeling when I made them (and hopefully reminding the recipients, too!). They’re keepsakes,
Be My Valentine Cookies
My daughter is not yet interested in the joys of patchwork, but she is extremely interested in cookies. I found this recipe online, and whipped up some frankly delicious sugar cookies. They are likely to be a bigger hit with the younger set than the mini quilt (though I’m hoping the quilt lasts longer).
Romantic Rose Salt Scrub
This one’s a valentine just for me. My skin always gets drier in the winter, and it’s in need of some deep moisture, so I made a rose-scented salt scrub for exfoliation and moisturizing. It’s a super easy recipe, and makes my skin so soft. Rose essential oil and dried rose petals give it a fancy touch for Valentines day.
In a small bowl combine the following:
-1 1/2 cup coarse salt (I use about 1/2 cup coarse grey sea salt combined with 1 cup coarse white kosher salt, but you can experiment with different kinds)
-1/2 cup dried rose petals (I get these from the local Persian market, but you can usually find them at co-ops or the Whole Foods bulk section, or you can grow your own.
In a separate small bowl, pour about 1/3 cup oil. You can use a wide variety of oils, but this time I used a combination of almond oil and vitimin E oil. I sometimes use avocado oil, or sesame, and even olive oil will work well. You can also gently heat coconut oil and use that, but be aware it will alter the scent of your scrub (coconutty!). Add about 10 drops of rose essential oil to the bowl of oil, and then add the oil to the salt mixture and stir until well blended. Spoon into a mason jar or other pretty container. Your skin will thank you!
