Before we know it February will arrive with all its red, pink, and purple sparkles. In our corner of the world Valentine’s Day is a family affair.
The best husband on the planet gets up in the wee hours of the morning to decorate the house with hearts, balloons, flowers, and all things Valentine. When he was old enough to understand, our son was enlisted to help with the decorating and cards. Each of the girls gets a flower, something sweet and a card signed with love from Dad and Evan. The guys love creating it for us, and always find new ways to make the day sparkle.
Last year when I was helping the girls with these Tea Wreaths, I tucked away the idea until now. Because I love the idea of counting down to an occasion and surprising my husband, I came up with a Countdown to Valentine’s Day Wreath. It looks like this:
And it starts out with this… 
A piece of cardboard (about12x12) scrapbook paper, 14 clothespins, glue and hot glue.
Cut a wreath shape out of the cardboard. I used a dinner plate for a template.
Make sure the wreath is wide enough for a clothespin…cover it with scrapbook paper. I’m sure there are more graceful ways to do this…but it worked. You can cover the back as well–or not.
Using coordinating paper, cut and glue strips to fit the top of each clothes pin.
Now set the pins on the wreath and decide on spacing and color.
Once you’ve decided, hot glue each pin in place, making sure the closed end faces out.
Using the leftover paper, or any other color you like, cut and fold little notes that can be clipped on. I cut a few to see what size I thought looked best, in hindsight I thought heart-shaped notes would look great as well!
Funny, sweet, romantic, you decide. Get creative and write 14 messages inside each note. Number each one on the outside and clip to the wreath. Make sure your notes are placed fold side out to prevent peeking. Add a ribbon for hanging and you’re done!
The nice thing about this wreath is it can be put away and reused each year. While I was working on my wreath, I had a few ideas for a variation on the theme.
• A birthday countdown
• A gift for a friend with weekly scriptures and encouragements
• A smaller, 9 month pregnancy countdown
• Countdown to a trip, a homecoming, or?
It’s a very quick, easy, project to complete! I am looking forward to February 1st!
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Katharine is mom to four incredible kids and wife to the best husband on the planet. Visit her blog…
