There's really no wrong way to craft, says Sue Roush as she helps her 7-year-old granddaughter hot glue a bright pink, heart-shaped hair elastic band onto a wooden heart door hanger.
"Just think outside the box, and use what you have," she said.
With the help of her granddaughters, Millie Roush, 7, and her sister Josie, 9, Sue demonstrated a simple craft project filled with lots of reds, pinks and colorful hearts that's sure to get the children in the Valentine's Day spirit.
Sue owns DIY Creative Studio in Cole County where she teaches sewing, painting and other make-it-yourself classes for crafters of all ages and skill levels.
Once the girls got out of school one recent afternoon, they headed to grandma's studio and were welcomed with a festive table covered in ribbons, pompoms, colorful paper and beads.
The project is simple.
You'll need:
• A wooden, heart-shaped door hanger. Sue bought hers at a local dollar store.
• Decorative paper in various colors and patterns to cover the heart. Fabric would also work.
• Scissors and a pencil for tracing and cutting the paper.
• Mod Podge or another type of glue for the paper. Hot glue works best for adhering heavier items, though adult supervision is encouraged.
• Whatever embellishments your heart desires: beads, ribbon, bows, doilies, glitter, pompoms, stickers, faux flowers, deco mesh tubing, buttons, wooden decals.
Sue started by tracing the sections of the heart onto the paper, using a different style of Valentine-themed scrapbook paper per section. She then cut them out and adhered them to the heart with Mod Podge.
Pro tip: To get a cleaner edge along the wood, Sue used sandpaper to smooth out the edges and remove excess paper.
Once the heart dries, it's time to decorate.
"Use what you have in your house," Sue said. "If you don't have time to shop but you have kids that need a project, this is an easy, fun thing to do."
She fashioned a bow layering different colors of ribbon with a fabric flower in the center. The heart will hang thanks to a string of red and pink beads; ribbon would also work.
Josie went for a bit more flair on her heart, which featured a sparkly mesh bow on one side and red ribbons lining the slats of the heart.
As she glued red and white pompoms to a smaller heart in the center of the door hanger, Josie said she planned to hang her heart on her bedroom door for Valentine's Day.
Millie hadn't decided what to do with her craft project, adding she didn't really have a plan for decorating the heart. She just added what she liked, such as the spiraled hair elastics.
Frequent crafters thanks to their grandma's studio, the girls said they enjoy making different projects, pointing out an elf hanging in the space that Josie painted on a wooden sign during the Christmas season. She's also taking sewing lessons with her grandma, learning to make a pillow case and a tote bag.
"We have the most fun," Sue said. "To see the little girls come out of their shell and just light up, it's so funny. They get so excited and so proud when they finish the project."
DIY Creative Studio, located at 6002 Elston Road, offers new sewing and crafting lessons each month for all ages. Information is available on the business's Facebook page; call Sue at 291-4664 to book your seat as space is limited. She also periodically assembles craft kits for at-home projects, which include all the supplies and instructions for you to get creative if stuck at home due to the pandemic or impending winter weather.
Accompanying video: DIY Creative Studio Owner Sue Roush and her grandchildren make a Valentine’s Day craft.