No-Sew Cloth Valentine Pencil Toppers - A Child's Craft

Valentine's Day will soon be here and many parents will be running to the store to buy a box of printed Valentine cards for their child to give out to their friends at school. Although this is nice, why not try something a little different this year. Give Valentine pencil toppers that you and your child have made together. When Valentine's Day is over, cards are thrown away, but a Valentine pencil topper will last as long as the pencil. This is an easy craft, requiring a few materials, little time, and no sewing.

Items Needed to Make a Valentine Pencil Topper

-Fabric (Valentine print or solid pink or red) (amount needed depends on how many toppers you are going to make) (it takes two, approximately three inch squares to make one topper)
-Heart shaped stencil or cookie cutter (sized to fit inside three inch square)
-Craft glue
-Scissors
-Ribbon (pink or red) (one-fourth inch wide)
-Markers
-Stuffing (used to make stuffed animals)
-Ruffled lace (optional) (one-half inch wide)
-Pencils (Valentine design)

Instructions on how to Make a Valentine Pencil Topper

First, trace the heart shaped stencil or cookie cutter on the wrong side of fabric and then cut it out. If you are using a solid color, let your child apply a special message using the markers. They might want to write their own name or the name of the recipient of the Valentine pencil topper. After your child has written their message, have them apply a small amount of craft glue to outer edge of the wrong side of the pieces of fabric, except for the bottom, leaving one-half inch on either side if the heart point, and then let this dry thoroughly.

Next, instruct your child to put a small amount of stuffing inside the heart through the bottom opening. Have them use the end of the pencil to poke the stuffing all the way inside. Make sure the stuffing is distributed evenly on the inside.

Insert the eraser end of the pencil into the opening at the heart point and glue down the edges, making sure to glue the fabric to the pencil and let this dry.

NOTE: You will have a raw edge on the fabric.

Cut a piece of the one-fourth inch wide ribbon and have your child tie a small bow around the pencil at the bottom of the heart, and glue it in place. The no sew Valentine's Day pencil topper is now ready for your child to give to their Valentine friends.

Optional: To hide the raw edge of the fabric, glue decorative lace around the outer edge on both sides.

Sources: Personal Experience, JoAnn Fabrics