Valentine's Day Swag for $1.00!

Can you believe there was an ad for the NRA on this site?  I don't know where the ads come from, but I was very upset with this particular ad that has no place on this blog.  I deleted it - I just figured out how to and told google it was inappropriate.

I have two new readers who have signed up on Angie's House.  A big welcome to Thursday's Child and GIF Images.

I have often thought (and said) that my creativity level is below zero.  And, for the most part it is.  I'm more inclined to experiment with a recipe and call it fun than sit down to do any sort of craft.

This morning, out of the blue I got an image of what I could do with the dollar store paper hearts I bought the other day

I've always had a penchant for paper heart doilies.  As a child I loved them and wished that I could have just one.  I would have taken good care of it, bringing it out every year.  My mom said we couldn't afford them, so they went on my wish list for when I was a 'big' girl.

Then when we had our family, I couldn't afford to spend the $5.00 Hallmark was asking for them.   One day, what I considered  a miracle, I found a package on deep discount.  Every February first those hearts were lovingly separated and hung in the big picture window of our living room.  Year after year, until they couldn't take one more taping.  It would have been nice if the dollar stores were invented back then.

Now there are dollar stores.  I not only got a package of medium sized white ones this year, I bought a package of large pink ones last year to display in my front windows. (at the dollar store)

Now for the creative idea.  I was thinking about how much I like the holiday swags the stores put out.  I didn't see any at the dollar stores I visited last week, so I forgot about them.  Until this morning.  I had twine and the paper heart doilies.  I could make one.

Out came the ruler, hearts, and twine.  I measured twelve inches between the center of each heart and got to taping the hearts to the twine.  Twelve inches, twelve inches, twelve inches - 6 times . (There are seven hearts on the swag.)

When the swag was close to being complete, I remembered I also bought some pink grosgrain ribbon.  It went behind the twine for what I told myself was a means to introduce depth.  The idea was right on.  Imagine me, and how surprised I was, when the completed project ( 20 minutes later) was presented.  I did it!

Now to hang it.  This was a problem so I tried a number of different tactics.  I settled for securing the swag at the corners of the fireplace.  I couldn't get the hang of securing it in three places.

I purchased the hearts and ribbon because I liked them, thinking I would find something to do with them.  The thought that I would create anything with my hands didn't even enter my thought process.

I used seven of the 15 hearts at a cost of approximately .50 cents and half of the ribbon at a cost of .50 cents.  The twine was in the kitchen drawer as was the tape.  So for a dollar, I made a happy project.  I would say that was a frugal hack, wouldn't you?

Pictured here are the materials I used to create the swag. Scissors, tape, ruler, twine, heart doilies,
and ribbon.  The entire project cost $1.00 plus the twine and tape.  If pink or red hearts were used, only the twine would've
been needed.

The finished product.  I can't say how thrilled I am with the results.
Crafters would shrug this off, but to me it's a personal milestone.