Valentine’s Decorations for Preschoolers: Egg Carton Heart Wreath

Wreath--Finished2-600

31 Days of Love

Welcome to Theresa from Capri + 3   who  has a lovely Valentine’s Day Decoration for Preschoolers to share! I can’t believe that this is the END of 31 Days of Love series! This month has been simply amazing. With so many wonderful and different Valentine’s Day posts! We have had gorgeous Valentine’s Day Cards, Valentine’s Gifts and Valentine’s Day Treats. So many ideas to keep you all very busy!

Hi!  It’s me, Theresa from Capri + 3, popping in on the last day of the 31 Days of Love.  I am so excited to be part of this amazing series from Red Ted Art.  Valentine’s Day is such a fun holiday and we love to do heart themed crafts.  I save all of our egg cartons because they come in handy for crafts and sorting.  This time, we did a group project where all four of our three year-old children took turns painting and decorating the same egg carton wreath.

Easy Egg Carton Wreath:

You Will Need:

  • Recycled cardboard egg carton
  • Red (or color of your choice) non-toxic paint such as tempera
  • Paint brush and plate or container for paint
  • Stapler
  • Scissors
  • Wired Ribbon (We used a 2 inch width.)

Cut the lid off of the carton and then cut the part that holds the eggs in half lengthwise so that you have two long strips and trim the rough edges.You can either shape it into a heart and staple it (then paint it) or paint it first.  Since we have four little ones and it was likely to get torn, I opted to have them paint the two sections before I shaped it (but I have photos of the unpainted heart in case you’d like to go that route).

Wreath--Ryder
Painting all the ‘nooks and crannies’ is great fine motor practice.
Valentines Decorations for Preschoolers - Wreath
To shape the heart, make a V shape and staple it.

 

Valetine's Decorations for Preschoolers
Then, bend the two ends to form a heart and staple the top.
You will want to be gentle when you shape the heart as the egg carton can easily tear.  I found it useful to bend the strips both ways a bit so they were pliable before I shaped the heart. After you have a painted heart that is stapled in place, have your little ones wrap the wire ribbon around it, starting from the top middle section so that you can make a bow on top.  Our little ones loved this part of the craft and burst into fits of giggles as they looped the ribbon through and walked backwards, pulling it tight (while I held onto the wreath).  The great thing about the wreath is the design of the egg carton makes it very easy to hang on a nail without needing a loop.  The cup shape in the top center of the heart hangs nicely on the nail.   I hope you have fun making a wreath with the children in your life.   There are endless possibilities in decorating your heart wreath.  If you’re feeling brave, you could even bust out the glitter!
We’d love to have you come over to  Capri + 3 and get to know us.  You can read our story to find out how we came to have four children, the same age (all siblings) but with two different birthdays!  You will find arts and crafts ideas and can join us on our ‘multiple’ adventures. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest.
HATS Overlay--Mr Frank