Garden Valentines

 My garden has started!!! I am trying to winter sow this year. Basically, you take milk bottles cut them out and turn them into mini green houses and plant your seeds inside. You put the whole mess outside in a sunny sheltered spot and ignore it. In theory come spring I should have plants ready and waiting. The post I read for this is here. I am trying some dye plants that I want to play with and as I collect more bottles I will start a few more things.

 Badger's Valentine box. The boxes had to be less the a foot square, have at least a 5 by 2 inch slit for cards and have at least one moving piece. This is what Badger with the help from mom, dad, and auntie made. The tail moves.

This is Butterfly's the slit is in the back and the jeans move so you can put the cards in. They also had to write out a meaningful appreciation on the card for each child in the class. Handwritten. The cards could be store bought or homemade but the child had to write something specific and caring to each classmate. They girls had quite a bit of help assembling the boxes. The did the painting and the paper mache, but we did the hot glue and structural work. What I really liked about this approach was that instead of a candy party sign it quick, the teachers made it be a design challenge and a change to think and express something nice about each classmate. 

I hope they brighten their classmates day and yours.
~ Julia