Salt Dough Heart Wreath

Click here for the Salt Dough Recipe

Materials Needed:

• Straw or grapevine wreath from a craft store
• 6 big salt dough hearts
• 6 small salt dough hearts
• Metalic Gold pen and acrylic paints
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun
• 2 inch thick Ribbon to wrap the wreath
• 1/4 inch ribbon for hanging the hearts
• Heart Cookie Cutters in two different sizes
• Pins
• Craft wire/garden wire
• Clear craft varnish
• Straws (cut in small pieces to form the hole at the top of the heart mold)
• Any Valentine garnish (baby's breath, plastic red apples, etc)

Making the Valentine Heart Wreath

(Adult supervision advised)

1. Prepare the salt dough that you will use to make the heart cut outs. Take a bowl and mix in the flour, salt and water.
2. Place parchment paper on top of the counter and spread the dough on it.
3. Using the heart molds cut the hearts to make: 6 large and 6 small . Help yourself to a toothpick to print designs about 1 cm from the edge of the rim. Pierce each heart with a hole for hanging by using the small pieces of cut straw.
4. When you have finished decorating hearts, put them on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet . Then put the cookie sheet in the oven and let the hearts dry for 2 to 3 hours at 250° F. Keep the oven slightly ajar.
5. When hearts are dry, let them cool. Then you can decorate them with your metalic paint pen and acrylic paints. Add messages on your hearts if you like. Spray the hearts with the clear craft varnish. This coating layer is important because it prevents the salt dough to absorb moisture and crumble. You can store the remaining dough in a plastic cup in the refrigerator for reuse at another time.  
6. Now pass the 1/4 inch end of ribbon through the hole of a big heart and glue the end to ribbon just above the hole or tie in a knot. Take the strip pieces of different lengths for hanging the hearts. Hook a big heart at each end of the longer ribbons.
7. Now that our hearts are ready, you can start decorating the crown. Using the 2 inch thick ribbon. Fix the end of the ribbon to the wreath with a pinor hot glue and wrap it around the crown. When you have the desired effect, cut the ribbon end and secure it with a pin or hot glue.
8. Now put through the wreath some craft or garden wire to form a loop. This will be used to hang the wreath.
9. Add your garnish for more decoration and secure with pins, wire or glue as needed.
10. Now you can attach your hearts with strings to the wreath with pins or glue. Hanging the hearts at different length and at different places on the wreath for a beautifully Valentine's Day decorative effect.

You now have created a Valentine Heart wreath that will make the perfect door decoration or gift for your special Valentine!