This is not a new idea (I’m not that clever), and I have come across a few different versions on Pinterest and just LOVED how they turned out so I decided to make my own.
I am THRILLED with the results and the boys had so much fun helping to make them. They keep asking if it’s time to take them to school yet. It is really very simple to create a fun, personalized and 3-D “ish” Valentine’s Day card for your kids’ classmates and even family. Here is how I did mine:
Take the kids outside and have them make a fist. Take a gazillion pictures trying to find a half-way decent one to use (what’s up with five year old’s making silly faces in every.single.picture!?). I told my boys to pretend them were giving me a sucker so they would hold their hand correctly.
After I downloaded the pictures to my computer, I used Photoshop and Valentine’s heart brushes to decorate the image along with adding a personalized message. If you don’t have a photo editing program, you can always manually add stickers and write your messages on the back.
Save your images at 4×6 with at least a 300dpi for photo printing and upload them to your favorite photo developer (I used CVS).
I was so excited to go pick them up!
With a sharp utility knife, carefully cut a slice above and below the outreached fist (adults should do this step!!). It’s better to slice a little long because you can add a piece of tape to the back to hold the lollypop. If you cut too small, than the photo might tear (learned from experience). It didn’t take long to find the perfect length…about 1/2 an inch, where the lollypop doesn’t slide much yet the paper doesn’t tear. Use your judgement, it will depend on the size of your suckers (we used DumDum’s).
My boys are seven and five and they were perfectly capable of threading the suckers through the paper. So I cut, they threaded. It was a fine assembly line.
Ta-Da! That’s all there is to it. Of course, Anthony now wants to add a personal message and a “To and From” on the backs…I wish I would have known that before I put lollypops on them all. If you want to add a message, it would be easier to write on the pictures before you add the lollypops.
Have you ever created a fun and personalized Valentine’s Day card for your kids or do you just buy the box sets from the grocery store? I don’t think I’ll ever buy a box again because this was so much fun!
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