1. Teddy Graham Valentine // Fun and easy Valentine idea with a free printable.  One even has a sweet Bible verse on it.  [Score!]
2. Heart Shaped Pencil Toppers //This would be a fun craft to do with your older kiddos and then hand out as gifts.  
3. Heart Shaped Crayons // I love using old crayons to make new ones.  This is perfect for a class party!  [Cheap too!]
4. Photo Prop Valentine // Everyone would have fun with these photo props!  
5. Valentine’s Hair Clip // Wow the girls in the class with these cute hair clips.
6. Love Bug Finger Puppets // Another fun craft to make with your kiddos and then hand out.  
7. Valentine Play Doh // I love this idea!  And the printable is cute too.  
8. Apple Sauce Valentine // A healthy Valentine?  Yes, please!  
9. Flower Packet Valentine // Give the kiddos a fun treat that they can enjoy throughout the year.  
10. Valentine Word Search // This will keep your kiddos busy and is a great gift.  
11. Minion Valentine // Got a minion fan in the house?  Check out these fun minion Valentine!
12. Valentine Key Chain // Another crafty gift that everyone is sure to love.  
13. Hand Print Valentines // These would be great to give to parents and grandparents.
14. Gold Fish Valentine // Super cute gift idea with a free fishy printable.  
15. Rainbow Loom Valentine // Rainbow loom is all the craze, so I’m sure these gifts would be a huge hit!
16. GoGo Squeez Valentine // Another healthy Valentine idea!
17. Paint Chip Valentine // Grab some paint chips and get crafting for this fun Valentine.

Want more Valentine’s inspiration?  Check out:

• Chocolate and Cherry Trifle
• 50+ Valentine’s Crafts for Kids
• Easy Valentine’s Recipe Ideas

And be sure to sign up for our emails!  Wheee! 

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I made this trifle for our Super Bowl party this past week and it was really fun to make a pan of brownies and tell Ryon he couldn’t eat any.  But they were for the trifle.  [Which is really just a fancy word for a layered dessert.]  Everyone that came over ohh-ed and ahhh-ed at the trifle and asked how did I make it.   I told them it was really easy to make.  [Because momma only makes easy homemade recipes yall.] 

For the brownies:

• 1? cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup baking cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ? cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tsp. vanilla

For the whipped cream:

• 1 large container of heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

For the cherry filling:

• 1 15 oz can of cherry filling [I used a cherry and white peach filling I had gotten from Kroger.]

Make the brownies and let them cool.  While they are baking whip up the whipped cream.  [Pun indeed.]  To do this add your heavy whipping cream to a chilled bowl.  Use a hand or stand mixer and beat it on high for 2-5 minutes.  Once soft peaks are forming add your sugar and vanilla.  Mix until blended. 

I need to do a post just on how glorious homemade whipped cream truly is.  Because its amazing.  And once you know how easy it is to make your own, you may never buy the store bought one.  One day soon. 

Once everything is done you layer it in your pretty trifle dish and stick it in the fridge til its time to eat.  And if you are really mean, then make it a day before a party and tell your family they can’t touch it yet.  And then evil laugh as they all whine.  [Mom win.] 

Chocolate Cherry Trifle

Print

Ingredients

• For the brownies
• 1⅓ cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup baking cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ⅔ cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• For the whipped cream
• 1 large container of heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• For the cherry filling
• 1 15 oz can of cherry filling [I used a cherry and white peach filling I had gotten from Kroger.]

Instructions

For the brownies
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray baking pan with cooking spray.
3. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.
4. Combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix gently.
6. Pour brownie mix into your baking pan.
7. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the whipped cream
1. Pour heavy whipping cream in a chilled bowl.
2. Mix for 2-5 minutes until soft peaks form.
3. Add your sugar and vanilla.
4. Mix until blended.
For the trifle
1. Break the brownies into pieces.
2. Layer brownies, whipped cream and cherry filling.
3. Do again.
4. Top with more whipped cream and brownies.
5. Serve chilled.

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Looking for more recipes? Check out:

• Reese’s Brownies
• Hot Chocolate Cake
• Pumpkin Chocolate Poke Cake

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Last year both kids came home with more candy from their class parties on Valentine’s then they did on Halloween.  I was shocked.  I’m not opposed to the kids having sweets but we limit what they can have at the house.  So the bags got put away and I started thinking of non-candy things to hand out for their parties.  For Halloween it was coloring books and crayons and for Christmas it was play-doh and trucks.  [Which were both huge hits.]  And for Valentine’s this year its going to be flower packets with a Valentine’s note attached! 

The kids and I have started planning for our spring garden and went and grabbed seeds a few weeks ago.  When we were browsing through Ryley kept asking to get some flowers for her garden.  We bought a packet or two but it gave me a great idea for Valentine’s.  A non-candy idea.  All I needed was a cheesy saying and a free printable and we were set!

“Valentine- We’ve grown to be such good friends!”  How cute is that?  I seriously think its perfect!  I whipped up the printable and used a tape runner to attach it to the back of a flower packet.  It can be stapled on the back as well.  I just did the edges with tape so that it can be removed and the parents/kids can read the planting instructions.  Below is the free printable for your own flower packet Valentine.  All you have to do is click on the image, save it, print it out and attach it to a flower [or fruit or vegetable] packet.

I printed them out four to a page and once I cut them out they fit perfect over the back of the flower packet.  The best part is that its a gift that hopefully keeps on giving.  The kiddos can plant them with their parents and watch the flowers grow in the Spring! 

Be sure to check out these out Valentine’s Ideas:

• 15 Easy Valentine’s Recipes
• 50+ Valentine’s Craft and Food Ideas
• Follow our Easy Valentine’s Ideas Pinterest board!

Or sign up for our emails!

The post Flower Packet Valentine appeared first on mom makes dinner.

1. Best Red Velvet Cookies // Roxana’s
2. Candy Cane Hearts // Margaret’s Morsels
3. Toasted Coconut Red Velvet Donuts // Julie’s Treats and Eats
4. Chili Chocolate Valentine’s Truffles // A Little Clairification
5. Red Velvet Brownie Cake // Beyond Frosting
6. Heart Shaped Cherry Pies // Sweet Bella Roos
7. Strawberry Whip Dessert //30 Handmade Days
8. Red Velvet Cupcakes // Yesterfood
9. Dark Chocolate Cherry Shortbread // Your homebased mom
10. Chocolate Cherry Marshmallow Brownies // Love Bakes Good Cakes
11. Red Velvet Bark // Couponing and Cooking
12. Individual Cheesecakes // Summer Scraps
13. Cherry Vanilla Shake // a night owl blog
14. Chocolate Dipped Spoons // Growing up Gabel
15. Valentine’s Monster Cookies // Happy Hour Projects
16. Valentine’s Heart Cookies // Kirsten Oliphant

Like this post?  Be sure to check out:

50+ Valentine’s Craft and Food Ideas

Or follow my Easy Valentine’s Crafts Pinterest board!

And don’t forget to sign up for our emails!

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Want to make your own? You’ll need:
A plain t-shirt
1/8 yard of fabric {for toddlers…you’ll need more for a bigger kiddo}
Rotary cutter/mat
Disappearing ink pen
Iron/ironing board
Heart template

This project requires some ironing. Ick. But you don’t have to pin, so be sure to take the time to iron.

Start out by ironing the shirt to and fabric to have good materials to work with.

For a toddler, cut your fabric into two strips measuring 2 inches by 22ish inches {half of whatever your length of fabric happens to be}. You’ll need to do three strips for a bigger kiddo.

Fold a strip in half, right sides together, hot dog style. Sew up the long side using your presser foot as  your seam allowance.

Turn your tube and press well, hiding the seam. Repeat for the second tube.

Now, its time to ruffle. There’s all sorts of ruffling methods out there. If you have a favorite, use that. If not, use mine!

Set your stitch length to the longest you can and your tension to the tightest {for me this is a 0}. This will help your fabric ruffle up all on its own. While you sew, hold the thread right next to the spool with a bit of pressure. This will make the fabric ruffle like crazy without having to pull infuriating strings!

So, for this project, you’ll want to sew a ruffling stitch right down the middle of both your fabric strips. Make sure you tuck in all of the ends so you don’t end up with a fraying mess after the wash.

If you’re the free handing type, draw a heart onto your shirt using your disappearing ink pen. If you’re like me and that idea scares you, make a template and trace it.

Starting at the bottom of the heart, sew the ruffle to the shirt. Back stitch to start. Follow the pen marking. Go slow and turn often. Leave your needle down and lift your presser foot adjusting as needed.

At the top of the heart, back stitch. Then, add the second ruffle. Be sure that you overlap the two ruffles so there’s no gap. When you get to the bottom of the heart, overlap and back stitch.

Ta-da! You’re set.

Want to make a matching hair clip? Come on over to Covered in Mod Podge and I’ll show you how!

Have a blast dressing up your little ones for Valentine’s Day. I just melt over toddlers all dressed up in pink and ruffles!

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