My kids are a little obsessed with containers. They love bags and boxes of any kind. Their favorite thing to do is to fill them up with random things and carry them around. I used felt and embroidery thread that I already had at home to make these sweet little envelopes for them for Valentine’s Day. I filled them with little treats – a threading activity, some candies from the bulk section, and a tiny felted heart. I found the felted hearts at my favorite thrift and DIY store in Tacoma, Urban Squirrel. I’ll share here how I made the envelopes and the threading hearts. They were both very simple to make. They are not at all perfect, but I know that the kids won’t care one bit! I also made one for my niece and nephew. I can’t wait to see how they all choose to use their little envelopes and what they put inside. I’m sure we have lots of mail carrier role play in our near future.
Felt Envelopes
Materials
- A piece of felt for each envelope
- A small paper envelope for a template
- A Manila file folder for a template (optional)
- Embroidery thread
- Needle
- Scissors
- Two buttons for each envelope
I love that I didn’t buy a thing for these envelopes. Using what you have already is the best way to make the least impact on the environment and also the best way to save money!
First I opened up a small envelope, traced the outline of it onto an old manila file folder, and cut it out. I did this because a thicker template can be easier to work with. I learned this trick from my son’s Kindergarten teacher. It is a good way to use what you have and avoid buying new cardstock.
Then I placed the template on the sheet of felt and cut around it to make the open envelope shape. You can trace the shape onto the felt first but I skipped that step and just started cutting. You can save time by first folding the felt and the template in half.
Once the envelope shape was cut out, I started hand sewing it together with the embroidery thread. I folded the bottom up and the sides over and pinned them together and then used a running stitch to sew them together.
I cut out a little felt heart of a different color than the envelope and sewed it on to the front of the envelope using a running stitch.
Lastly I folded the top part down and sewed two buttons on. I sewed one button to the bottom triangle of the back of the envelope, just below where the flap comes down when the envelope is closed. I sewed the other button onto the flap. This way tiny hands can easily wrap thread around the two buttons to open and close their envelope.
Each envelope only took about an hour and a half or so.
Threading Hearts
Materials
- Cardboard from a shipping box
- Hole punch
- Yarn
- Tapestry needles (large with round ends)
- Beads for the end of the yarn
The only things I bought new for this were the needles. I found the yarn at a thrift store.
I cut hearts out of cardboard small enough to fit into the envelopes. I punched holes around the outside of each heart. For each heart, I cut about a yard of yarn, tied a bead to one end, and threaded a needle onto the other end. Another option is to tie a big knot at the end of the yarn. You just need to keep the thread in place and prevent it from coming through while kids are threading. Another tip, especially for smaller children, is to tie the yarn to the needle so that it doesn’t come off.
These hearts make a great Valentine’s Day decoration and also help children to develop fine motor skills.
It brings me so much joy to make things by hand for the people I love. Did you make anything to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year? I hope you’ve found time to do something you love, whatever it may be!
