I will admit I’m sort of addicted to paint chips. Is anyone else drawn to the paint chip section at the home improvement store even if you have no plans for painting? It’s a visual feast. I love to look at all of the colors, take a few (or several) swatches and wonder what some of the colors could even be used for….and that’s saying a lot coming from someone who has a martini green (gotta love the color names!!) living room! Since I have a drawer that is filling up with paint chips I thought I should do something with them. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner this was an appropriate and simple start to try and dwindle my stash!!

You will need the following supplies to create your very own Paint Chip Valentine’s:

Paint Chips – in reds and pinks
Scissors
Pencil
Small Hole Paper Punch
Baking Twine or Yarn
Darning Needle (large eyed needle)
Valentine’s Colored M&Ms or candy of choice

Step 1: Cut Hearts for Valentine's

In order to make all of the hearts the exact same size I made a template by sacrificing one of my paint chips.

Fold sacrificed paint chip in half. You won’t end up using this one because the paint will chip off where the paper is folded.
Draw half a heart with folded edge being the straight side on paint chip.
Keeping the paint chip folded cut on line using scissors.
Now you have a template to trace around on the other paint chips.
Trace heart on paint chips and cut out. (You will need two hearts for each Valentine.)

Step 2: Punch Holes in Heart Shapes

After all of the hearts are cutout you can punch the holes that will be stitched.

Place two hearts together with right sides facing out.
Using a small hole paper punch, punch holes all around the outside of the paint chip hearts with about ½ inch spacing.
I just eyeballed the spacing but you could also mark where the holes should be. Just make them close enough that the candy you choose can't fall out.

Step 3: Stitch Valentine Hearts

Stitching the hearts will allow them to be filled with candy! I would suggest using some kind of butchers twine for this but if you only have yarn it will work too. I tried using yarn with the first heart (see last photo) but yarn fibers flaked off everywhere and I figured nobody wants to eat fibers with their Valentine candy so I switched over to butchers twine.

Cut a length of about 2.5 feet of butchers twine.
Thread a darning needle with the cut twine.
Start your first stitch at the top center hole (as shown in the photo) bringing your needle from back to front.
Make next stitch in the next hole to the right brining needle from back to front.
Gently pull twine to tighten.
Next the needle should go up through the first stitch to ‘catch’ it.
Make the next stitch in the next hole to the right and repeat sequence until you have 4-5 holes left.
When you get to this point you will want to fill the heart with candy. Stuff to desired fullness!
Stitch the remaining holes.
When you get to the last hole stitch the same as above but wrap one extra time around the beginning hole.
Both thread should be at the back of the heart now.
Tie in a knot and cut threads.
Repeat with remaining hearts.

Step 4: Hand Out for Valentine's Day!

Congratulations!

You have completed Paint Chip Valentine's. These are great for kids to take to school to hand out on Valentine’s Day. Let them use a fun colored sharpie marker and write a simple to and from message. If your child is at an appropriate age they could even stitch the hearts themselves.