Love Rocks…let’s spread some!

Love Rocks…let’s spread some!

January 21, 2013

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Love Rocks…let’s spread some!

It is my desire for my babes to love and to learn to be comfortable expressing their love. I want them to grow ‘living’ kindness, compassion, and honoring others. Why is this form of expression so hard for so many to do? There are numerous reasons, I imagine. I’m willing to bet there are many a proclamation of love or friendship just floating around in minds and space, or at the tips of tongues, that have shamefully never been shared. I’ve recognized, in the past, that I didn’t express near the level of adoration I had for loved ones around me (clearly excluding my children who must tire from the outpouring at some point). I’ve been working on turning that around. It should be simple…have pleasant thought, acknowledge thought, express thought to loved one, hug. Moving along…

I’ll call this project…Love-yata (maybe)  

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The basis for the project is the good ‘ole Pinata. My own mom helped me make paper mache art growing up and it was always one of my favorite crafts. We experimented with different shapes and subjects. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, and love to be shared, we’ll focus on the heart. Rather than filling them with candy, we are going to fill them with LOVE. We’ve added personal messages, compliments, and proclamations of love on mini paper scrolls. 

  

Supplies: 

  • ‘Goo’ (equal parts flour & water – I used 1 cup of each, and a couple pinches of salt to help prevent molding)
  • Balloons (I found small balloons offer the best shape)
  • Bike Pump (read on, trust)
  • Tape
  • Newspaper Strips (about 1/2 – 1 in. wide)
  • Paint
  • Embellishments
  • Small paper strips (for love messages)

I suspected two half-blown balloons would be a great base for the shape of a heart. The smaller balloons worked well, we had a few water balloons on hand that worked well for the smallest size pictured above. Note: they are REALLY hard to blow up, like humanly impossible due to their strength. We ended up using our bike pump to inflate them…good luck, it got a little weird ;) I used a bit of tape to join the two balloons. I also taped them to the prepared surface table (covered in wax paper) to stabilize them as I added the first layer of paper mache, aka ‘goo’.  
Mix up the ‘goo’ with a whisk in a container that you can seal. The project will take a couple days considering dry time between layers and decoration. Dip the strips in the goo and skim off the excess. Place the strips in rows, slightly overlapping. Add some diagonally to cover the lobes of the heart and also at an angle along the bottom to create the point. You will need to set/prop the heart up on a bowl or cup and let the first layer dry in a warm place before adding more. I wouldn’t add more than 2 layers for this particular project since you won’t need quite the stability required by loads of candy. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yes, Puppy Chow in the background…creative fuel, swear. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When the heart is completely dry it will be a hard shell (unlike your own). Now it’s time for the bling to begin! Start by adding a coat of acrylic craft paint in your color of choice. My daughter gave me one option: pink. You may need an additional coat if the newspaper print shows through. I wondered what Mod Podge over the newsprint would look like, or covering with scraps of crepe paper, perhaps another day. Next, cut a small door in the back to add your love notes. Use a sharp cerated knife, and try to avoid crushing the form as you cut a flap just large enough for fingers to fish out the notes. 
 

From here, play! You can add sequins, glitter glue/paint, puff balls, artificial flowers, feathers, small pictures, or hand paint a message. Focus mainly on the front half of the heart. 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now it’s time to open your own heart and spill the lovelies. Whether it’s your partner, friend, child, or neighbor…tailor your messages to your subject and really push yourself. Dig deep. Pay a genuine compliment. Let them know specifically why you love them. Share a quirky characteristic that makes you smile. Offer a blessing. Handprinted notes from your children would melt the recipients heart and be a wonderful emotional exercise for your babes :)

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XOXO, 

J  
 
 
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