What’s better than 2 for 1? What about 4 for 1! When we started thinking about fun ways to make hearts for V-day, we couldn’t choose just one, and luckily you don’t have to either!
The secret to an armload of hearts is a silicone mold pan – it’s perfect for transforming all sorts of supplies into Valentines treats. Maybe your kids want to make gifts for their teachers and need candy-free cards for their class, or maybe you want to share self-care treats with your girlfriends for Galentine’s Day. Below are how-to’s for heart shaped crayons, perler bead pendants, toy-filled soaps, and sprinkle bath bombs. Make just one or try all four and take advantage of all the options your tray offers!
Heart Crayons
What you’ll need
- Heart shaped silicone mold pan
- Assortment of crayons
How to make them
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Peel all paper off crayons and snap them into small pieces.
- Fill cups with approximately 3 to 4 crayons or until the cup is full.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes.
- Take out and allow to fully harden and cool before popping crayons out of mold.
Perler Bead Pendants/Pins
What you’ll need
- Heart shaped silicone mold pan
- Assortment of perler beads
- Optional: pin back, magnet, string or ribbon
- Hot glue
How to make them
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Separate beads by color for a monochrome look or mix together.
- Fill cups with beads until bottom surface of mold cups is covered with beads.
- Bake for approximately 45 minutes, checking on them every ten minutes or so.
- Take out and allow to cool before popping out hearts.
- Glue magnet, pin back, or necklace string to the back.
Bath bombs
What you’ll need
- Heart shaped silicone mold pan
- 8 oz baking soda
- 4 oz Epsom salt
- 4 oz corn starch
- 4 oz citric acid
- 2.5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- About 1 tablespoon water
- 4-6 drops of soap colorant
- Small toys (we used magic grow capsules)
- Large bowl
- Small jar or bowl
- Spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Optional: sprinkles or biodegradable glitter
How to make them
- Add all the dry ingredients (baking soda, Epsom salt, cornstarch, and citric acid) together in a large bowl. Stir until the mixture is clump-free. Add sprinkles or glitter if you’d like and continue to stir.
- Next add all wet ingredients (oil, water, and food coloring) to a clean jar and shake them up. Add more food coloring for a brighter hue.
- Slowly add the liquid to the dry mixture, stirring as you go. If things start to fizz, go even slower! You should end up with a mixture that just barely clumps together, like damp sand.
- As soon as you have the right consistency, fill each mold cup halfway with the mixture and pack down firmly. Add the toy and continue to fill the cups, pressing firmly again at the top.
- Let the bath bombs dry a full day or overnight before popping them out of the mold.
Heart Soap
What you’ll need
- Clear Glycerin Melt & Pour Soap Base (2 lbs)
- Small plastic toys or erasers
- Glass measuring cup
- Spray bottle with rubbing alcohol
- Soap Colorant
- Knife
- Spoon
- Plastic Cutting board
How to make them
- Start by cutting soap base into cubes and then small slices and filling the measuring cup. NOTE: It’s easier to make in small batches so start with 8 oz of glycerin at a time. If your glycerin came in a grid, 8oz = 10 cubes. The amount of soap base you need to fill each cup will depend on your mold size. Our mold had 8, 2.5 oz cups which required approximately 4 oz of liquid soap per cup.
- Microwave measuring cup for 30 seconds, take out and stir. If necessary, continue in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until glycerin has become clear liquid.
- Add colorant to the measuring cup, 4 drops at a time, and stir until you reach the desired shade.
- Pour the soap into molds, filling them halfway, and then spritz with alcohol to remove bubbles. Let set for 5 to 7 minutes. Spritz toy with alcohol then place in soap and spritz once more.
- Leave for twenty minutes to make sure toy is secure then spritz again with alcohol, remelt soap and fill the remaining space. Spritz one more time and leave until completely hardened.