Valentine's gifts your child can make by Briony Jenkins

Edible Valentines

Iced Hearts, Hugs And Kisses

You will need: basic cookie recipe (your own or see below), heart or round shape cookie cutters, little tubes of coloured icing, old tissue box covered in red or pink paper, red or pink tissue.

Make up the cookie recipe and roll out. Use a heart shape cutter or make hugs and kisses by using a round cutter (hugs) or use strips of dough to make an X shape for kisses. Kisses are fun to do and the less perfect the better, I think. Once baked and cooled, your child can decorate with tiny tubes of icing - bigger ones can draw hearts or write names or initials. Once dry, line the covered box generously with tissue paper and pile cookies inside.

Hearty Breakfast

You will need: fresh eggs, bread, ham, heart cookie cutter.

Start the day with love - make toast, then your child can use the cookie cutter to cut out heart toast and cover in red jam. For hungry valentines, you can fry an egg inside the cutter to get a heart-shaped egg and your child can help cut heart shapes from thin slices of ham. Very tasty.

Love Cake

You will need: heart or round shape cake tins, ingredients for Victoria sponge (see below) or 2 ready-made sponge cakes, strawberry jam, fresh strawberries - sliced from top to bottom so they look heart-shaped, double cream - whipped.

Bake the sponges - if using round tins, cut into heart shapes when cool. With your child, spread the jam, half the cream and half the strawberries on one. Place the second cake on top and add the rest of the cream. Your child can arrange the remaining strawberries in a heart pattern, initials or a name. Very impressive!

Valentine's Day Tea

You will need: ingredients for your favourite sandwiches, pizza, heart cookie cutter, strawberries, white chocolate.

Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over hot water (best left to mum). When bowl isn't hot to touch, your child can dip the tips of strawberries into the chocolate and set aside to harden. Cook the pizza and make up sandwiches with choice of fillings, then help kids use the cookie cutter to cut out heart-shaped pizza bites and sandwiches. Arrange on a large platter surrounded by a scattering of strawberries. For more variety, cut heart shapes from sliced cheese or melon.

Hand Made With Love

Be My Sweetheart

You will need: sheet of A4 paper, pink or red cellophane, hole punch, red or pink wool or embroidery silk, a few sweets or covered chocolates.

This a clear heart filled with goodies. Make a heart template by folding a piece of A4 paper in half, drawing half a heart along the fold line then help your child cut out - avoiding the fold side. Place this on top of a sheet of pink cellophane and cut out - repeat so you have two identical cellophane hearts. Place cellophane hearts together then, using a hole punch, assist your child to make holes all round the edge of the heart. Now help them weave the wool or ribbon through the holes to 'sew' the heart together. When there is only a small gap left, they can fill with sweets or chocolates. Finish the weaving and tie in a pretty bow. Gorgeous.

Heart Ribbon Pendant

You will need: heart cookie cutter, 2 cups plain flour, 1 cup warm water, 1 cup salt, tablespoon of cooking oil, a straw, red or pink paint, glitter, thin ribbon.

Make salt dough by mixing the flour, salt, oil and water and kneading. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour until the sides of the bowl come clean. If it's too dry, add a splash more water. Roll it out on a floured surface and use your cutter to make heart shapes. Use a straw to poke a hole in the top (for the ribbon). You can leave it plain or add 'raised' decorations, like a smaller heart, on top. Bake the hearts very slowly on the oven's lowest heat for approximately four hours (or until the dough has hardened) turning halfway through so both sides bake evenly. Leave to cool then decorate with paint and glitter. Once dry, thread with a long ribbon and tie in a knot. Very child friendly.

Box Of Love

You will need: small box, paper or fabric to cover it (optional depending on box), red or pink card, chocolates.

Buy a pretty box or find a small one and cover it in wrapping paper or fabric remnants. Make a stencil of hearts and kisses then help your child draw lots of them on the card. Cut out all the shapes and use to fill the box with love. Throw in a few yummy chocolates and you can't fail to please. If you're feeling clever, tie the box with ribbon and add a handmade label.

Designer Gear

You will need: depending on the recipient, a plain white tea towel or t-shirt, fabric paint.

Your child can decorate their item of choice with handprints, a painting, a message or just doodles. You can help little ones write their name and 'Happy Valentine's Day'. A lovely keepsake.

Living Love Tokens

Bouquet Of Love

You will need: selection of flowers and greenery - ideally with large flat petals and leaves, glitter glue or glitter spray, ribbon, cellophane.

The beauty of this is that you don't need lots of expensive flowers and may even find the greenery in your garden. Spread the flowers on some newspaper and help your child to decorate the leaves and petals with the glitter pens or simply spray with glitter (under supervision) for maximum glitz. Allow to dry then wrap in cellophane and tie with a pretty ribbon.

Valentine Tree

You will need: a bunch of twigs, florist foam (oasis) or an old flowerpot and soil, red or pink card, hole punch, ribbon, paint or crayons, glitter or glitter glue.

Gather some sturdy twigs and arrange in the florist foam or in a flowerpot. Cut out a dozen red cardboard hearts, punch a hole in the top of each, and thread with ribbon to hang. On each heart, stick a special photo, do a drawing, finger paint, decorate with glitter or write a special message. The adventurous can paint the pot too.

Basic Victoria Sponge Recipe

3 eggs
6oz/150g soft butter
6oz/150g castor sugar
6oz/150g self-raising flour, sieved
2 round 20cm cake tins (oiled and lined with baking parchment, also oiled)

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F/gas mark 5

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add flour slowly until the mix is creamy. Pour half the mixture into each tin and smooth the surface. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until the cakes have risen and are slightly coming away from the sides of the tin. The surface of the cake should spring back, when pressed gently.

Note: Chocoholics can make chocolate sponge by substituting 25g flour for 25g (sieved) cocoa powder.

Easy Cookie Recipe

6oz/150g plain flour
2oz/50g castor sugar
4oz/100g very soft butter

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F/gas mark 5
Mix the butter well with the sugar. Gradually add in the flour. Knead the mixture (kids love this bit) adding a splash of milk if the mixture is too dry or more flour if it's too sticky. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and you're ready to cut into shapes.

A last word...

Whichever gift you choose to make, have fun! It doesn't matter if hearts are wonky or the painting is a globby mess. What counts is the love with which the gift is made.