Some Days it Don't Come Easy

I'm not crafty.  I don't enjoy cutting or gluing or anything like that.  If I'm making something with my hands, it's likely a sandwich.  However, my friend, Leslie, over at My Mommy's Place, is so creative.  She makes amazing things for her children.  I  love checking her blog to see what new, unbelievably-uber-awesome thing she's been up to.

My daughter is aware of Leslie's mad skills.  For a fall party, Leslie and her daughter assembled treat bags to pass out to her daughter's classmates.  I showed the blog post to Mason.  She looked at me and said, "When it's our turn to take something, we're taking gift bags too."  I thought, "sure, sure...I hope you forget."  She didn't.  So, now that it's Valentine's Day and her turn to provide something for the party, she signed us up for treat bags!

I originally thought we'd do bags like these.  Minions are crazy popular, right.  We could also make a coordinating Valentine's box and Valentines to pass out!  Oh, the possibilities!  Then, the teacher sent home a letter stating that students were not bringing in their own boxes.  I was pissed. How can you have Valentine's Day without a box????  I understand that schools have started to do away with things like this because some kids have asshole parents whom don't help them put together boxes and a child should never feel left out.  I get that.  However, I had asshole parents whom never helped me do my boxes.  I have never had an artsy bone in my body.  While other students brought in beautiful boxes, mine were the standard covered-in-foil-tissue-and-stickers boxes.  They were always ugly, but they were mine.  I made them and was incredibly proud.

After struggling to find the yellow bags, I pitched the whole idea and settled on something easier.  Let's face it, Mason wasn't going to help much.  I'd be lucky if she applied glue and stuffed the bags with the goodies I purchased.  Since I knew I'd do most of the work, I chose these.  Simple, easy to do, and super cute.

This is an actual picture of the bags I made.  Aren't they adorable?  Oh, they were so easy! The bags are lunch sacks.  I cut the tops off with pinking shears, then punched holes for the handles.  Next, I traced a heart-shaped cookie cutter onto a piece of red-glitter card stock and cut out the hearts.  Mason glued the hearts onto the bags using a giant glue stick.  Finally, I used ribbon to make the handles.  You'll notice there are two different kinds of handles.  I bought a 12 foot roll of ribbon.  I needed to make 18 bags.  I measured and cut the ribbon in 9 inch sections.  I only got 12 segments and ran out.  12 feet, my arse!

Inside the bags are stickers, 2 suckers, a pencil and eraser, a heart-shaped candy, a candy necklace, and a ring made from a pipe cleaner and a Hershey's kiss.  Mason received one at the Chocolate Extravaganza this past weekend.  They looked simple enough, so I made some too.  Here's a pic...not mine.   I stole it from Pinterest.  Apparently, others are doing these cute, little favors too.

I am not good at this stuff.  I'm really not.  I don't enjoy it.  But I'd do anything for my children...even go out of my comfort zone and make something crafty for them.  I bet Meatloaf doesn't craft, either.

"Lego" is popular for Valentine's Day this year.  If you haven't seen the movie and don't want to venture out into the cold, you can watch it, FREE, by clicking here.  HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!