Cinnamon-Applesauce Hearts (Repost)

Republished from 2/21

Years ago, my mom delivered a Valentine's package with a deliciously scented heart ornament dangling from the bow.

It was a cinnamon heart, strung with a satin ribbon - and even after the scent had gone, it hung from a kitchen cabinet handle for many more years delighting me with fond memories.

This old recipe, requiring only two ingredients - ground cinnamon and applesauce - might traditionally be used to make Christmas ornaments, but since my mom pressed it into heart shapes, in my mind, it's best suited to Valentine decor.

You won’t believe the incredible cinnamon smell that fills your home while these are baking - and how lovely it will be for days (weeks) to come when you walk into a room where one of them is on display!

Cinnamon can be expensive if purchased in those tiny containers at the grocery, but if you have a big-box store like Costco, WinCo or Cash & Carry nearby, you can pick it up a large container relatively inexpensively. Increase or decrease the recipe depending on how many hearts you want to make, using a 1:1 ratio.

Ingredients:
(makes about a dozen cookie cutter hearts)

• 1 cup Cinnamon

• 1 cup Applesauce

• Thin ribbon or twine

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly mix the cinnamon and applesauce together in bowl. It should have a thick, paste-like consistency and hold together well - not too dry, not too wet.

2. Place between two pieces of parchment or waxed paper, and roll out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. It will break if too thin, and will take longer to bake if too thick.

3. Take the top layer of paper off and use cookie cutters to cut into shape.

4. Use toothpicks to decorate and a straw to make the hole for hanging.

5. Move hearts onto a cookie sheet.

6. Bake at 200 degrees for about two and a half hours, until they feel dry and hard.

7. Once cooled, thread ribbon or twine through the hole and make a loop.

Dangle from a Valentine’s package, gift a grandparent, teacher, friend, or hang in your home for some Valentine’s love, some winter cheer, and a fantastic cinnamon scent!

And yes, go ahead and use the recipe during other seasons and cut out other shapes - acorns and leaves in the fall, snowmen and snowflakes for your Christmas tree… it’s all fair game!

Classic Salt Dough & Air Dry Clay Recipes

I grew up in a household where nearly everything was “home made.” My parents would see something in a shop or on TV and if it interested them, they’d think - or often say aloud - “I coud do that.” and they did it.

Sometimes this wasn’t cool with my little self. I often yearned for store-bought branded items… But now I am so grateful to them for passing on a CAN DO lifestyle to me, modeling resourcefulness, ingenuity, and enthusiasm for creating a life one might want for themselves.

That’s a lofty introduction for a subject as humble as air-dry clay, but this is where it all starts! Not everything has to come from a big delivery company! Make some clay for yourself or your kiddos and get started on your own creative life!

1. Baking Soda & Cornstarch Air Dry Clay:

This recipe is favored for being inexpensive, easy to work with, and drying to a crisp white finish.

• Ingredients

  • 1 cup Cornstarch

  • 2 cups Baking Soda

  • 1.25 to 1.5 cups Water

• Instructions:

  1. Mix: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.

  2. Cook: Stir continuously until the mixture thickens into a mashed potato consistency.

  3. Cool: Remove from heat, place in a bowl, and cover with a damp cloth until it reaches room temperature.

  4. Knead: Knead until smooth.

2. Glue & Cornstarch Cold Porcelain Clay:

This recipe is great for making small, detailed figures as it is very smooth and durable.

• Ingredients:

  • 1 cup White PVA glue (e.g., Elmer's)

  • 1 cup Cornstarch

  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice or White vinegar (preservative)

  • 1 tbsp Mineral oil or Baby oil

• Instructions:

  1. Mix: Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth.

  2. Heat: Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until it forms a dough.

  3. Knead: Knead while warm until smooth.

3. Classic Salt Dough:

A simple, classic option perfect for children's crafts.

• Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Flour

  • 1 cup Salt

  • 3/4 cup to 1 cup Warm Water

• Instructions:

  1. Mix: Combine flour and salt.

  2. Combine: Gradually add water while stirring.

  3. Knead: Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and pliable.

Tips for Success

• Drying Time: Let creations air-dry for 24–48 hours, or up to 3–5 days for thicker items.

• Storage: Store unused clay in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

• Cracking: If the clay is too dry, add a small amount of water or lotion.

• Coloring: You can add food coloring or acrylic paint during the kneading process to dye the clay.

• Durability: To make the clay stronger, you can mix in a little PVA glue.

Craft Project | Rustic Heart Wall Hanging

This heart happy little project was done by a family member, and it’s so pretty I had to share!

She said she can’t take credit for the idea, she saw it done and decided to give it a try herself.

Inspiration tutorial by Shades of Blue Interiors. Link can be found here: Branch Heart Wall Art.

There are a few differences in the the inspiration and her rendition; the original crafter uses fallen sticks, this one is done with driftwood collected from the beach—white string was used on the original and this uses a rustic twine—and of course the color palette is different (pink versus teal).

I’m told that creating the heart shape was in no way easy!

1. First lay it all out. Plan to spent considerable time switching different length sticks in and out until it takes on the desired shape.

2. Then, do it all over again when you tie the twine to each one and suspended it from the long rail.

Pro-tips:

• Hang the rail first and ties each stick to it while hanging. (Trying to do it on a flat surface is impossible!)

• Start with the center stick and build out each side.

3. Once you’ve got everything strung up in a heart shape, you may just decide to leave it natural… but if not, then it’s time to paint.

Choose your color palette, here it starts with white, then a light teal, and finally a dark teal. You may decide to use more or less to create an ombre effect.

Laying a ruler across the heart shape helped to know where to start the paint, each new layer was started about an inch down from the previous color.

4. Once painted, hang once again, readjust as necessary, tighten the string/twine, and clip off any excess.

5. Hang where you will enjoy!

I love both, the original and our example here! And I’m sure there are countless other ways to craft something similar using this post as your inspirational jump-off point!

What materials would you use and what color scheme?

Where would you hang this? I think a beachy cabin, a bedroom reading nook, or a bathroom would all be perfect.

Let me know if you give something similar a try!

First comes the materials collection… then arranging and hanging.

It helped to lay a ruler across the heart shape to get a general sense of where to start the ombre painting.

Cinnamon-Applesauce Hearts

Republished from 2/21

Years ago, my mom delivered a Valentine's package with a deliciously scented heart ornament dangling from the bow.

It was a cinnamon heart, strung with a satin ribbon - and even after the scent had gone, it hung from a kitchen cabinet handle for many more years delighting me with fond memories.

This old recipe, requiring only two ingredients - ground cinnamon and applesauce - might traditionally be used to make Christmas ornaments, but since my mom pressed it into heart shapes, in my mind, it's best suited to Valentine decor.

You won’t believe the incredible cinnamon smell that fills your home while these are baking - and how lovely it will be for days (weeks) to come when you walk into a room where one of them is on display!

Cinnamon can be expensive if purchased in those tiny containers at the grocery, but if you have a big-box store like Costco, WinCo or Cash & Carry nearby, you can pick it up a large container relatively inexpensively. Increase or decrease the recipe depending on how many hearts you want to make, using a 1:1 ratio.

Ingredients:
(makes about a dozen cookie cutter hearts)

• 1 cup Cinnamon

• 1 cup Applesauce

• Thin ribbon or twine

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly mix the cinnamon and applesauce together in bowl. It should have a thick, paste-like consistency and hold together well - not too dry, not too wet.

2. Place between two pieces of parchment or waxed paper, and roll out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. It will break if too thin, and will take longer to bake if too thick.

3. Take the top layer of paper off and use cookie cutters to cut into shape.

4. Use toothpicks to decorate and a straw to make the hole for hanging.

5. Move hearts onto a cookie sheet.

6. Bake at 200 degrees for about two and a half hours, until they feel dry and hard.

7. Once cooled, thread ribbon or twine through the hole and make a loop.

Dangle from a Valentine’s package, gift a grandparent, teacher, friend, or hang in your home for some Valentine’s love, some winter cheer, and a fantastic cinnamon scent!

And yes, go ahead and use the recipe during other seasons and cut out other shapes - acorns and leaves in the fall, snowmen and snowflakes for your Christmas tree… it’s all fair game!