My 3 year old has been getting excited for Valentine's Day and has been wanting to make some valentines for his friends. His drawing skills are fine for a toddler, but he's not quite at the "recognizable heart drawing" stage, so I put together this super simple heart stamp for him while his brother was napping. He loved it! It may not be fine art, but I love this DIY because it's quick, doesn't require any pinterest skills, costs nothing, and it's perfect for little hands.
To make the stamp, all you'll need is an empty toilet paper roll and a rubber band. It helps to start with a toilet paper roll that's relatively round on the ends (although you only really need one nice end to pull it off).
Fold the toilet paper roll in half, partially flattening it. Make creases at either end to form this football-like shape.
Pick one end of the "football" and invert it (push it in toward the other end of the football) to form a heart shape. If you're having trouble inverting the end, make sure it's well-creased first. Wrap the rubber band around the roll, toward the back end. Then use your fingers to smooth out the shape of the heart on the stamping end.
The back end of the stamp may get a little wonky looking as you shape the heart, but as long as you stamp with the good end, it won't matter at all. You can leave off the rubber band if you prefer, but I find that it helps it to keep the shape better when little ones are using the stamp.
After that, all you need to do is dip the stamp in some paint (I recommend the washable kind). . .
. . . and let your little artist go to work!
I hope you enjoy this quick and easy DIY! It has the toddler stamp of approval (bwhaha. . . pun), and it's a perfect last minute art project to help practice fine motor skills. If you have any comments or questions about this craft, you can reach me in the comments section below or on social media. And if you end up making some heart stamps, I'd love to hear about it!
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