A Gift Kids Can Make: Clay Valentine's Day Heart Spoon Rest

Air Drying Clay
Acrylic Paint or Hammered Metal Spray Paint
Clear Acrylic Spray Paint
Paring Knife
Clay Working Tools or a Wooden Skewer, Pencil, or toothpick
Large Heart Cookie Cutter (at least 5 inches tall) (optional)
Knife (optional)

Start by cutting off a large slab of clay. Carefully roll the clay out on a flat and dry work surface. I like to work on a glass surface or laminate surface because they are smooth and easy to clean.

Roll the clay out to about ¼ inch thick. Lay the Valentine's Day Heart on top of the clay and trace out the pattern with a toothpick. If your Valentine's Day Heart is not big enough you can use it as an idea and free hand a heart pattern onto your clay. I recommend making the heart at least 6 to 7 inches tall and about 4 to 5inches wide. You can go bigger or smaller, depending on what types of spoons you use while cooking.

Draw a larger handle near where the point of the Valentine's Day Heart is. I like to leave it about 2 to 3 inches wide and about 2 to 3 inches long.

Use a paring knife or butter knife to cut out your Valentine's Day Heart.

Now, work your heart smoothing down the cut edges and shaping it into a gentle concave curve to hold your spoon. Mold the point of the Valentine's Day Heart so that you spoon handle can gentle rest in it. You can make this part of the spoon rest as long or as short as you want. You could even cut a hole in it if you think you would like to hang your spoon rest up while it is not in use.

Roll out a coil of clay about ¼ inch thick. Attach it to the bottom of the Valentine's Day Heart as a base for the spoon rest to stand on. Score the coil in an X shaped pattern with your toothpick. Rub some water on the coil with your finger and attach it to the heart.

Continue working and smoothing your clay into the desire shape. You can carve swirls and polka dots and other patterns into it for a whimsical effect. You could also carve words like "Be Mine" and "LOVE" in the Valentine's Day Heart spoon rest.

Tip: Keep a spray bottle filled with water handy. You can mist your clay occasionally to keep it wet and malleable.

Allow you air drying Valentine's Day Heart to sit out for 24 hours to dry. Once the craft project has completely dried you can paint it.

Prime the Valentine's Day Heart first with some good primer.

Once the primer has dried you can add the color. For a metal look of can spray the heart spoon rest with a product like hammered metal spray paint.

You could also: Paint your Valentine's Day Heart in a nice pastel pink or purple color. Dab a paint sponge into red paint. Dab it gently on the surface of the heart. You can also gentle dab your sponge into some purple acrylic paint. Work these three colors all over your Valentine's Day Heart until you achieve a nice red color. Now, take your paintbrush and dip it into the paint. Now paint on some words like those great little heart candies with the sayings on them.

Allow the painted Valentine's Day Heart craft project to dry and then spray it with several coats of spray acrylic paint. Allow each coat to dry before adding another.

You could also cut a small piece of felt out and glue it to the bottom of your spoon rest. I recommend just using some rubber picture stoppers though, because the felt could get dirty.