January 27, 2011

I am a copy cat

I saw this idea here and here and could not resist copying it.

Normally, I am not a fan of Valentine's Day decorations.
There is something about decorating with reds and pinks that I don't like.  (Though, you would think that I loved it since those are the colors I chose for my wedding).
But, when I saw this idea, I couldn't help myself.  
I LOVE these hearts.
They are hanging in the window of our office right now, but Dottie Angel was right....these are highly addicting.  I loved them so much that I made more for our bedroom.
And then, I decided to make a modified version of them in my classroom.
I found some very old and very used Goosebumps books in my library to use to cut up these hearts. The fact that these books were falling apart and had been taped back together 500 times did not stop my students from being appalled that I was cutting up a book.   I had to explain to them that these books had a wonderful little life and were well loved as books and that it was now time for them to move on to their next life as heart garland.  It still took some of them a couple of days to mourn the loss of these books.  But, when I told them that they would get to be the ones doing the cutting, their sadness was over.  They have been cutting their little hearts out ever since (pun intended).
Since I do not keep a sewing machine in my classroom, I stapled the hearts onto yarn instead of sewing them.  I thought this would be easier and faster than sewing them anyway.  I was wrong.  Sewing them is WAY faster.  But, at least that is the only thing I have to do.  Thirty kids can cut out a lot of hearts, so I didn't have to do much of that at all.  And they are still going.  They want this heart garland to be all over the room.

(Don't tell them that I cut up brand new American Girl books from our library for my garland at home.  The pages were just so much prettier!)
And now I am a bit heart obsessed.  I am sewing fabric hearts tonight.  Hopefully they turn out.  I have never done that before. 


11 comments:

  1. They turned out so good!! Now I REALLY want to make this:)

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  2. umm i am a little appalled at the cutting of books too.. but its super cute (you could have used newspaper though)

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  3. so i love these! BUT WHY WOULD YOU EVER CUT UP BRAND NEW AMERICAN GIRL BOOKS!?? They were probably mine...and Nick probably made you do it in order to downsize my "keepsakes." I'm with Kim - use newspaper...or goosebumps because who reads those anyway.

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  4. But you should make me some to hang in my window :)

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  5. Alright losers who care more about the fact that I cut up a book than the fact that I made something adorable. Here are the facts: They are books that I got from Aunt Sandy and there were about 6 of each book. So I took one of each to cut up. They were brand new because they have never been read in the entire 6 years that I have had them. They are much more loved now. Newspaper would have been way too thin and a totally different color. So there. Now you should re-comment with your oohs and ahhs.

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  6. You cut up a gift?!?!

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  7. Molly and I heart your hearts! They are very cute and creative!
    Teri

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  8. So pretty! I love how you can really use all kinds of paper to make these. I am a new follower visiting from Tuesday Time Out. Vicky from Mess For Less

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  9. They're darling. My daughter would absolutely love to have some of these hanging in her room....pinning so I can try it for her soon.

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  10. A very heart felt decoration! Great idea for kids.

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