valentine's day (or any day) ::::::::::::::: moustache love

"Why, hellllooooo there.  You arrrrre loooking verrrrry bee-oo-tiful.  
Would you be my Valentine?"

Here's a silly, speedy (and sugar-free!) Valentine's (anytime!!!) project that is certain to stand out in a classroom mailbox full of Transformer and Jonas Brothers Valentines!!!


These hilarious handlebars would also make excellent quickie-costumes, father's day gifts, and/or party favors, and can be made in whatever color scheme your kidlets prefer.


You will need:
*2 or 3 sheets  (8.5" x 11") of stiffened felt in Valentine's colors (ours was glittery!) -- by why limit yourself?  'traditional' hair colors or rainbow-brites would be just as suave!
*Coffee stir-sticks (we 'borrowed' ours from our local branch of a coffee mega-chain.  ahem.), popsicle/craft sticks.  We considered using dowels, but worried that they might be too poke-in-the-eye-prone...
*Hot glue or craft glue (if you have some extra time for drying or are working with somebody under 8)
*Smallish, sharp, pointy scissors
*Heavy scrap paper (card-stock or a magazine cover works well)
*Marker, pencil


scrumdilly-do it!

Draw one or more styles of moustache on your scrap paper using marker or pencil, and cut them out, cutting OUTSIDE the lines.  Need some inspiration?  Go here.


Ander's 'staches were between 4 and 5 inches wide, but they can be whatever size you prefer.  

Turn your felt sheet FACE DOWN (glittery side or felt-ier side down) on a protected work surface, and trace around your paper templates with a permanent marker (Sharpies or similar seem to work the best).


Cut out your felt 'staches, this time cutting INSIDE the line, so no marker is left on your 'stache.


Let your glue gun heat up while you're busy trimming moustaches.  Have a shallow bowl of cold (not iced) water nearby in case of any drip-burned fingers.

With your moustaches laying FACE DOWN on a forgiving work-surface, draw a vertical line of hot glue (or craft glue) on the right side of the 'staches.  If you are making a moustache for a lovely lefty, your glue stripe will go on the left.  


Immediately press a coffee stir stick into the glue at a right angle to your moustache.  Try not to let any stick show above the top of the 'staches.  The glue will be flexible for a bit, and you can adjust things -- just make sure not to burn yourself!

Wait a few minutes for the glue to cool, pick off any glue 'webs,' and model your creation!  Be sure to affect a reedeec-u-luss accent of some sort and waggle those brows!


You may also want to write a sweet Valentine's greeting right on the flat surface of the stir-sticks, or pop your 'stache-sticks into small craft paper lunch sacks (left flat), folding and stapling them shut with a note on the outside like this:

Group photos are strongly encouraged.