I am so excited to debut the second round of Preschool Books Club Series. We are kicking off Round 2 with The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. This book is often read during the first days of school as it tells the story of a young raccoon preparing to say goodbye to his mother for his first school adventure. Like many children (and parents) the young raccoon is nervous. His mother gives him the gift of The Kissing Hand to ease his fears and help him carry his mother’s love with him wherever he goes. With my son beginning Kindergarten and my twin daughters starting their first year of preschool decided to make a portable version of The Hug Jar creating Felt Love Hearts Inspired by The Kissing Hand that they could take with them to school so that my love would always be with them.
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Horizon Group USA (Craft Project Ideas) gave me the embroidery thread free of charge. All ideas are my own.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FELT LOVE HEARTS INSPIRED BY THE KISSING HAND
felt in a variety of colors
embroidery thread
embroidery needle
stuffing (poly-fil polyester fiber)
AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT ENHANCED BY FELT LOVE HEARTS
emotional development
coping skills
fine motor development
sensory exploration
TIME TO MAKE THE FELT LOVE HEARTS INSPIRED BY THE KISSING HAND
Cut small heart shapes out of felt. You will need to cut two hearts to make one stuffed felt heart.
Now it is time to sew up the sides of the heart.
Begin by threading the needle and tying a knot into the bottom of the thread. (1) Stick the needle through the underneath of one heart about 1/4 inch from the edge and pull the thread threw completely. (2) Next place the heart on top of the other heart and stick the needle through the two hearts about 1/4 inch from the edge from bottom to top. Pull the needle through leaving a small loop. (3) Put the needle through the loop and pull. This is your first stitch. (4) Leave a 1/2 inch space and stick needle through both hearts from bottom to top. Leave a small loop. Move on to steps 3 and 4. Repeat steps 2-4 until you make your way around the heart leaving about a 1-2 inch opening. My kids were able to help with each of these steps. Feel free to include them or make the felt love hearts yourself as a present for your kids.
TIME TO STUFF THE FELT LOVE HEARTS INSPIRED BY THE KISSING HAND
Take small amounts of stuffing and push through the opening of the heart. Make sure to fill the top parts of the heart. Keep adding stuffing until the heart is completely filled.
Using the same sewing technique sew the opening of the heart shut. Once you get the hang of it you can make felt love hearts in less than 5 minutes.
Tie off the end of the string and cut off any excess. The felt love heart is finished!
We made a bunch of our felt love hearts and keep them in a bowl by our front door. Our kids love the bright cheery colors!
Our Felt Love Hearts are perfect for my little ones to take to school this Fall.
They can take a few in their backpacks and pull them out when they need a little extra love from Mom.
Admittedly, knowing my little ones have a piece of my love while they are away will (hopefully) make the transition easier for me too.
Have fun my sweet children and remember Mama loves you. Mama loves you.
Click on the links below for more activities inspired by The Kissing Hand.
The Kissing Hand DIY Salt Dough Charm from Sugar Aunts
The Kissing Hand Book Craft and Activity from Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails
The Kissing Hand Pop-Up Card from Buggy and Buddy
The Kissing Hand Temporary Tattoos from Meri Cherry Blog
Looking to explore more books through play? Click here to check out the rest of the Preschool Book Club Series!
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