Contributing Writer: Kelly Griglione from the Notable Nest
Have less than an hour to get together a set of Valentines, yet want them to be cute and unique? Well you’re in the right place! I’ve got just the craft for you, plus a free printable to make it that much easier.
A couple weeks ago I made some really cute “Be Mine” wrappers for a Nerds box and was excited to have our valentines ready ahead of time. Then we got a reminder that no candy is allowed to be passed out for Valentine’s Day at the school. Time for Plan B. Trying to think of an original, candy-free idea for Valentines, I walked up and down the aisles of Walmart. In the sporting goods section, I found the perfect item … a set of 15 practice golf balls for only $2. Surely, I could make something with these. A cute little saying to go with them, and we have some original, handmade valentines to pass out.
Here’s what you will need:
A set of practice golf balls with the holes in them, thread/ribbon, a needle, a hole punch and this free printable.
Let’s get started!
1) Download and print the free printable on cardstock. Cut out the tags.
2) Cut off the top corners, and punch a hole in the top middle of each tag.
3) Thread your needle with a very long piece of thread/ribbon and pass it through 2 holes that are close together on the golf ball.
4) Cut the thread/ribbon after approximately 12 inches (6 inches coming out of either hole in the golf ball) and tie ends together
5) Pass one end of the thread/ribbon through the hole in your tag and tie a bow. Done!
After making 20 of these (in only 25 minutes!) I have a few tips to share with you. If you have a paper trimmer, you can cut multiple sheets at once, making this go even quicker. When you’re cutting the corners off the top, also grab a couple of layers at a time. If you’re making a lot, like for a classroom, you may want to find a fancier yarn or thread to use instead of ribbon. Especially if they’re for kids who probably don’t care you used your nice ribbon on them. I got this red yarn about 5 years ago in a large skein for only $4 and I’m sure it will last me a lifetime.
Also, note that even though I made these for a kid’s valentine, you can absolutely use them for an adult’s valentine. There’s nothing kiddie about them, plus they involve GOLF so they would be fun for adult males. I showed them to my 3rd grader today and he was so excited to give them to his friends. It’s not mushy, plus it involved sporting equipment, so he loved it.
I sure hope you give these a try. If you’ve already made all the valentines you need for this year, you might want to keep this in mind for next year.
Thanks so much for looking!
-Kelly
Oh Kelly what an awesome Idea!! Love it!! Thanks for sharing!
Love Tascha
Thanks so much, Tascha! So glad you stopped by tonight : )
Cute idea Kelly and the kids will love them!
Thanks Lisa, I’ll get to go to the Valentine’s Day party tomorrow so it will be fun to see them passed out!
Brilliant idea Kelly – love the sport connection!
Thanks Jacquie, we don’t have a lot of princesses and butterflies in our house with the boys, so it’s a heck of a lot of sports, Legos and superheroes!
Kelly, you are a for-reals person with a machine brain of innovation and imagination! It’s a thrill to see you tick.
You crack me up, Darnell! So very sweet, and thanks for popping over!
These are just awesome Kelly! Only you could look at something plain and think of turning them into something so cute! I absolutely love the custom made tags!!
Very kind, Tasnim! It was desperation time, for sure : ) So glad to see you here!
Oh what a sweet and awesome idea!
Thanks so much, Kirsty! We just passed them out today … the kids seemed to like them : )
So crafty and cute, right down to the punny tag! Love this original idea! Thanks for the printable tag, too.
Donna, so glad you stopped by … thanks for your kind words!
awesome idea, Kelly!just perfect for a 3rd grader:)
Can’t wait to see how it went after the 3rd grader gets home from school today! Yesterday, we did the preschooler’s. Thanks for your comment : )