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Paper Bag Valentine Satchel

Paper Bag Valentine Satchel

We've no shortage of paper bags around here, but I must admit, I was stumped for awhile on what to do with them. But with Valentine's Day coming up, my daughter S and I thought it would be fun to make a purse (or "a satchel", which is what I called it for my son H), to transport Valentine cards to school for her friends. We started by cutting the bottom off the bag so it would lay flat. I left it folded over, and drew a large heart on half of the bag, ending at the fold on the bottom. I placed dots on the heart so S would know where to punch the holes.

Ages:
2 - 9
Est. Time:
1-2 hours

How we did it:

Materials List

  1. brown paper lunch bag
  2. markers
  3. hole punch
  4. shoe lace
  5. stamps
See full instructions at www.kiwico.com...
  1. Paper Bag Valentine Satchel Pin It

    S cut the heart out by following the lines I'd drawn.

  2. Paper Bag Valentine Satchel Pin It

    Then we punched the holes. To be honest, it was hard for a 4-year-old's hands to manage. She recruited her big brother to help out.

  3. Paper Bag Valentine Satchel Pin It

    Then S chose a festive ribbon we had to lace up her purse. She started at the top, leaving about 10" of ribbon free at the end.

  4. Paper Bag Valentine Satchel Pin It

    Lacing (or "sewing" as she calls it) is great fun for S, and such good practice for fine motor skills!

  5. Paper Bag Valentine Satchel Pin It

    After she finished lacing up her purse, S wanted to decorate the brown paper. I got out some Valentine stamps I'd picked up at Michael's (hello, $1 sale bin!), and she went to town.

  6. Paper Bag Valentine Satchel Pin It
  7. Paper Bag Valentine Satchel Pin It

    After she'd finished with the stamps, S turned the heart over to decorate with her markers. You could do all kinds of things with that wonderful brown paper canvas...

  8. Paper Bag Valentine Satchel Pin It

    S was so pleased with her creation, and is looking forward to putting her Valentine's Satchel to good use!

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