ST. VALENTINE'S DAY
Save lace papers from candy and soap boxes and they will prove useful when St. Valentine's Day comes in making Valentines. With these papers and scissors, paste, scrap pictures of flowers, doves, etc., the children will spend happy hours in making these dainty souvenirs. We give a few directions for making some such.
Single Hearts (Red cardboard, lace paper, scrap pictures, scissors, paste)
Cut a heart out of the cardboard and around the edge paste a border of lace paper, fulling slightly and attaching it to the under side of the heart. In the centre of the upper side of the heart paste a pretty scrap picture. This makes a simple but effective Valentine.
Chain of Hearts (Red cardboard, scissors, scrap pictures, paste, red ribbon)
Cut several hearts out of the cardboard, and, after punching holes in the top and bottom of each one, string them together, pasting a scrap picture on each one if that added touch is desired.
Double Hearts (Red cardboard, scissors, paste, strip of red paper)
Cut two hearts of different sizes. Then take a narrow strip of red paper measuring ¼ × 1 inch and fold it into thirds. While still folded attach one end of this paper to the centre of the upper side of the large heart and the other end to the centre of the lower side of the smaller heart. This unites the two, one resting on top of the other, the paper acting as a kind of spring to raise one above the other. Instead of a small heart a scrap picture may be thus attached on the larger heart.
In cutting out these hearts it may be necessary first to cut a pattern out of newspaper, making several trials before a satisfactory model is secured.
Lacy Valentine (Gold or silver paper, white tissue paper, scrap pictures, paste)
Cut from a sheet of gold or silver paper a piece measuring 5 × 7 inches. Fold this once through the middle so as to make a book of 3½ × 5 inches. Cut a piece from the tissue paper of 3½ × 5 inches. Fold this two or three times and cut into it tiny perforations—oblongs, diamonds, circles, hearts, etc. Then open out and observe the lacey effect. Practice this until something pretty and dainty is secured. Then upon the centre of the book paste a scrap picture and attach the tissue paper by its edges to the Valentine in such a way that the picture shows a little between the perforations. A narrow strip of stiff paper folded in three, to give the effect of a spring as described above, may be used at each corner. Inside of the booklet paste other pictures as fancy dictates. Also write therein some appropriate lines.
Spider-Web Design (Gold or silver paper, Bristol board, scrap picture, paste, scissors)
Cut a circle of gold or silver paper, three or four inches in diameter. Fold once, making a semi-circle; fold once more making a quarter-circle. Beginning at the point of the folded paper, make a tiny cut from one edge towards the other, but do not cut the point entirely off. Turn the paper and make a second cut parallel to the first about ⅛ inch away, the cut being from the other edge of the paper. Turn again and make a third cut. Each time the cuts grow in length owing to the increasing width of the triangle or quarter-circle. Continue thus until the circumference of the folded circle is reached. Then open out and you have a silver spider-web effect. Take a square or circle somewhat larger than the web, and in its centre paste a pretty bird, flower, or maiden. Then paste the web upon this background, putting the paste along the edges of the web, but leaving the centre free, so that the child can raise it and peer through the slits at the picture beneath.
Let city children send to country cousins scrap pictures, colored papers, etc., and sample Valentines, so that their friends may have the pleasure of making and giving.
Valentine Dinner
Soup: Put into the clear soup the noodle hearts, which may be purchased at a grocery store, or have a vegetable soup, slicing the vegetables and cutting them into little hearts with a knife.
Meat: Make chicken or beef croquettes, molding them like hearts.
Vegetables: Slice the boiled carrots and potatoes and cut into heart shapes.
Bread: Cut into hearts.
Salad: Upon green lettuce leaves place hearts cut from beets.
Dessert: Ice cream may be obtained in the form of a Cupid or something similar, and cake may be decorated with white icing having pink hearts outlined upon it. The peppermint candies in the shape of hearts, which have sentiments printed upon them, may be passed either at the beginning or the end of the meal. Cut in half, placing the halves in separate dishes; then pass one dish to the girls and the other to the boys, and by matching halves partners may be found. Let the children, however, remain unconscious of the distinction of sex as many years as possible.
In making preparations for the dinner let the children help.
Place Cards for Dinner (Red paper, white cardboard, scissors, pencil)
Cut a heart from the red paper. From the white, cut an arrow, drawing it after a pattern found in some book. Making two slits in the heart, run the arrow through it. On the reverse side of the heart write the name of the guest.
Decorations for Valentine Dinner (Red cardboard, red ribbon)
Cut about two dozen hearts all of same size, or graduated in size. String these upon the red ribbon and suspend over the table.