An Ignoble Experiment: [Parent Hacks] 1 new post in Parent Hacks

2013/01/22

[Parent Hacks] 1 new post in Parent Hacks

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Photo + glow stick = Star Wars Light Saber Valentine

Photo credit: Holly of Stitch/Craft

Another brilliant variation on the Lollipop Illusion Valentine! Rachel brought this to my attention:

We tried the giant lollipop trick last year but after we finished the pictures we received a reminder from school that candy can't be sent in. Adding stickers instead of lollipops was disappointing. This year my kids are going to be Jedi (thanks to Holly at Stitch/Craft)!

Photo credit: Holly of Stitch/Craft

There are so many things to love about this clever homemade Valentine:

No candy
Glow-stick light saber
Cool optical illusion
Star Wars LEGO variation with a free printable template!

Holly used 8-inch mini glow sticks in this project -- the kind that come with little plastic connectors so you can turn them into bracelets.

Holly was originally inspired by Meg of Brassy Apple, who came up with her own Star Wars Light Saber Glow Stick Valentine! The beauty of the Internet...and the creative "circle of life." Thank you for the heads-up, Rachel!

For more detail + a link to Holly's printable Valentine template, read the original post at Stitch/Craft: Forceful Valentines.

Valentine sanity check a la Minimalist Parenting: Clever homemade Valentines are wonderful...if you love doing this sort of thing. If you feel the stress or "pressure to perform" ratcheting up, remember that a box of store-bought Valentines is not a sign of "slacking," it's a choice to focus on other things you care about more.

More: Best of Parent Hacks: Valentine's Day (so many more great ideas)