I can’t think of a candy that better represents Valentine’s Day than Sweethearts – or, as many of us call them, conversation hearts. More than 100 years old, Sweethearts have been a staple for Valentine goody bags for decades, with their pastel colors and funny messages. While some phrases like “LOVE YOU” and “MISS YOU” never grow old, the candies updated their phrases not too long ago to include techy sayings such as “EMAIL ME” and “FRIEND ME.” You can send a message of your own choosing to your Valentine with these heart magnets!
(Why not put your finished conversation heart magnets in a Valentine surprise ball – or make some mystery Valentine scratch-off coupons, too?)
Materials
- Sculpey Premo! Clay Packs (colors are up to you; half of one pack yields a handful of various-sized hearts)
- Cookie or fondant cutters in heart shapes
- Plastic butter knife
- Small rolling pin or clay rolling pin (found at Michaels)
- Parchment paper
- Tape
- Fine-tip Sharpie marker
- Ruler
- Toothpicks
- Cookie sheet
- Circular magnets
- Hot glue or epoxy
- Baby wipes (for clean up)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F (you can use a toaster oven, too!) and prep your workspace. Tape a large sheet of parchment paper to your table or counter. Keep baby wipes nearby for any clean-up needs while you work.
2. With your workspace ready, condition your clay. To do this, cut off two segments of the clay from the package. Roll the ball between the palms of your hands; then, start rolling it into a worm-like sh
ape. Do this several times – you’ll feel the clay become warmer and softer as you go along. Next, roll the clay out on the wax paper with your rolling pin. Again, do this a few times.
3. Once your clay is conditioned, roll it into a small patty shape approximately 1/4″ thick. (This is the ideal thickness for baking.) Select your cutter and press firmly into the clay. If the cutter is about the same size as the clay patty you rolled out, pull the excess clay away from the cutter before removing it. If the cutters are smaller in size, lift them up and gently push the shape out with a toothpick. Repeat this until you’ve used up all the clay you’ve conditioned.
4. Line your cookie sheet with another piece of parchment paper. Gently place the hearts on the sheet (make sure they’re not too close to one another!). When the sheet is full, place in the over and b
ake for 30 minutes. After the baking is done, immediately remove the sheet from the oven, and place the parchment sheet (with hearts) on a cool surface. Let the hearts cool for 30 minutes.
5. As the hearts are cooling, think of which messages you’ll write on your hearts. Have fun making a long list of mushy feelings!
6. Once the hearts are cool, write your message on each heart with the fine-tip Sharpie marker.
7. To finish, apply a generous amount of glue or epoxy to the magnet and press firmly onto the back of the heart. Let the finished hearts dry, magnet-side up, for one hour.
How’d your conversation hearts turn out? Send your photos to me, lish@www.metroparent.com. We may feature it in a future Make It blog!
