You can share the love February 14 with Bronner’s conversation hearts Valentine craft! Indeed, our three-ingredient salt-dough recipe is simple. Cut out your hearts with cookie cutters, stamp your message, dry them in the oven, and paint them with acrylic paints. Voila!
Salt Dough Recipe for Conversation Hearts Valentine Craft
Salt Dough Conversation Hearts
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- wooden spoon
Materials
- 2 c. flour
- 1 c. salt
- 1 c. water
- food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Place the flour, salt and water in a bowl and stir.
- Knead the mixture until it forms a smooth dough.
- Add more flour or water to reach the desired consistency.
- To add color to the dough, simply knead in the food coloring (optional).
Crafting Your Conversation Hearts
Once your dough is formed, decide if you want to pre-color your dough with food coloring or paint your completed conversation hearts with acrylic paint. In order to pre-color your dough, you’ll want to separate it into the number of colors you want to create. Add food coloring to each dough and mix the color in thoroughly. By all means, be sure to wash your hands between colors.
Next, roll your dough to the desired thickness. Generally, we recommend a thickness of 3/8 inch.
Meanwhile, determine the size of heart-shaped cookie cutters you wish to use. Most likely, you will want to use small to medium-sized cutters. Mix up the look of your conversation hearts by choosing some cutters with a ruffled or patterned edge.
Moreover, you need to leave the hearts where you cut them until after you letter them. You’ll need mini alphabet and numeral rubber stamps to imprint your conversation hearts Valentine’s craft with sweet messages before you dry them. (Alternatively, you may choose to work with cookie stamps.)
At this time, you are going to want to make a small hole in any hearts you might wish to string with a ribbon and hang as this cannot be done after the hearts are baked and dry.
Then place your hearts on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 250° for approximately 2 hours. Nevertheless, the baking time may vary depending on the thickness of your dough so check your hearts periodically to avoid cracking, etc. Alternatively, you may opt to air dry ornaments for a few days.
Painting Your Conversation Hearts
Since we chose not to color our dough with food coloring, we painted them with acrylic paints. In brief, we painted just the edges and stamped sides of the hearts. However, if the back side is going to be showing, you’ll want to paint that side, too. To conclude, we dried them on waxed paper.
Uses for Your Conversation Hearts Valentine Craft
The uses for your conversation hearts are almost endless. (At any rate, make sure the littles know they are not edible.)
Here are some fun ideas:
- Slip the hearts in a loved one’s coat pocket or lunch box.
- Hang them from a Valentine tree, door knob or peg.
- Glue a magnet on the back and keep their sentiment always before you on the kitchen refrigerator or office cabinet.
- Use them in place of checkers or place markers in your favorite games.
- Speaking of games, hide them around the house and give a small prize or treat to whoever finds one.
A Sweet Surprise With Sweet Endings
In addition to conversation heart surprises to show your love this Valentine’s Day, why not “treat” the entire family with a delicious dessert like our chocolate punch bowl cake recipe?!
More To Love
If your house is home to a Valentine tree, you’ll want to hang this cluster of glass conversation hearts from its branches.
Shop our Valentine’s Day décor to find even more great ornaments, lights and decorations you’ll LOVE! In addition, our DIY Valentine’s Day ornaments will bring a homemade sweetness to your tree.
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