Homemade Valentine's Cards

                Here’s another cute idea that the kids can make for Valentine’s Day. Like I said before, money was tight when I was growing up. With four kids and all those Valentine’s cards to buy, this really was a big expense for my parents. So we had to get very creative and make our own Valentine’s cards. Every year we would pull out the construction paper and think of different ways to make a cute Valente’s card. So today I will show you how to make a quick and very inexpensive Valentine flower with a sucker in the middle for a treat.

1.       Cut out four hearts in pink, red or white. Make them as big as you like.

2.       Poke a little hole in the bottom of the four hearts.

3.       Take a little sucker and place into each whole. Go to a dollar store to buy these suckers to save a lot of money.

4.       Take a marker and write to and from on the petals.

5.       Now you have a personalized Valentine’s Flower.

Another thing my mother would do and I still do today, is to make Valentine’s cookies. At my husband’s office, it has become a tradition for me to make cookies for all the holidays. So I will give you my family recipe for cut out cookies.

Cut out Cookies

½ cup butter                                                ½ cup shortening

1 cup sugar                                                  3 eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla                                    3 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda                                2 teaspoons cream of tarter

Easy Frosting

Powdered Sugar                                              Butter

All I do is take a little butter and melt it and then I start adding powdered sugar until it makes a nice creamy frosting. This is quick and easy and inexpensive way to make frosting for the cookies.

In a mixing bowl cream together butter, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In another bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and cream of tarter. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Mix well. Chill for 2 hours in a refrigerator. Roll out onto a floured surface. Take your cookie cutter (heart shaped) and cut out your cookies. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool before frosting. Frost your cookies and add some candy hearts to dress them up.

This is a fun project to do with your kids or grandchildren. My youngest daughter is in High School now and she still asks me to make Valentine’s Cookies each year. The kids always ask her if her mother will still make these cookies for them. So between my husband’s office and school, I make about 50 cookies.  For the suckers which I buy at a dollar store, I spent $2.00 for 50 suckers. The candy hearts cost me $2.50 for 16 ounces. To make these Valentine’s Flowers and cookies I spent under $8.00 dollars. Don’t go out there and buy Valentine’s Cards and cookies when you can make them so much cheaper yourself. Look at all the fun your kids can have by helping make these.  If your kids absolutely have to have those expensive cards, at least buy them after the season at 50 to 75% off and save them for the next year to give out. Happy Valentine’s Day from Suzie Homemaker.