Piggy Bank Valentine

I’ve been experimenting with some different homemade valentine ideas and thought I’d share one I made yesterday: the piggy bank valentine.  This simple valentine can be made from colorful felt fabric scraps and can be made with just simple sewing skills.

I was inspired by the felt piggy bank Kennedy made for Tate and I decided it would make a cute valentine idea too.  Little kids, especially preschool age, love coins and this is a great candy-free valentine alternative.

To make this piggy bank valentine, use your sewing machine to make a coin slot {a buttonhole} in the middle of the fabric.  I held a heart outline over the area and figured out where I wanted the buttonhole, then marked a starting spot.  Be sure the buttonhole will fit a quarter.

Alternatively, if you’re not sure how to make a buttonhole with your sewing machine, you can also make a slit with scissors.  Since this project is made with felt, the slit won’t unravel or fray.

When the buttonhole is finished, place tissue paper over the area {making sure the buttonhole is in the center}, place another piece of felt underneath the piece with the buttonhole, trace a heart onto the tissue paper, and sew right over top of both the tissue paper and the felt.

This method is much simpler than trying to stitch right near the edge of the felt.  Once you’ve sewn around the entire heart, tear the tissue away {it tears off easily because the needle makes perfect little perforations} …

… and trim around the heart, close to the stitching.

Slit the buttonhole open {or you can do that first if you like to make things simple … smile} …

… and you have a cute little piggy bank valentine!  You can add a cheesy saying {because cheesy valentines are the best} …

… and let your kids hand them out to friends.  I thought this would be a cute valentine for Tate to give to her playgroup.  Three year olds love money, don’t they?

 Are you making homemade valentines this year?

For more valentine ideas that kids will love, be sure to check out this fun and artsy finger paint valentine {free printable included} …

… a heart soap valentine with a free printable …

… and a handmade chalkboard valentine that couldn’t be simpler to make {and is perfect for the younger crowd!}.