Love Jar

 I love Valentines Day, not for the whole lovey dovey thing, but because it brings back good memories of my mother.  Each year when I was small she would write poems (that rhymed) that led me on a treasure hunt throughout the house.  One note lead to another, and that one to another...until I found something in the shape of a heart.  One year it was a heart shaped locket (in the washing machine), then there was the gold heart shaped earrings (in a small box in the fireplace) and another year it was a heart shaped pillow (under my brothers bed).   The hunt was always different, but there was ALWAYS a heart in the end.  I wish I would have saved even one of the little poems! At that young age I was only interested in the final prize, not how I got there.  

Anyway, I thought I might share a little Valentine project celebrating the month of love.  It's not a treasure hunt, but it does contain messages of love...

Print out fortunes, love notes, personal messages.  I found some fortunes here but ended up writing most of my own that had a more personal message.  I used a free font Jobaca at a site I like called Search Free Fonts. 
Remember, these messages will be put into the paper fortune cookie so if you want a short message to show you will need to justify left.  If you do not want a message to show until you open it, then center the message on the paper.  I personally like it when some of the message shows because it give the reader a little hint of what is inside.
Once you print out the messages, cut into strips.  I found that a message about 7" long is almost perfect in the paper cookie.  I just printed on white computer paper but you could use whatever you like.

How to make the paper cookie:
What kind of paper?  I tried with white computer paper (as a test-too thin) and cardstock (almost too thick-I made some, but it really takes a lot to bend).  Standard 12 x 12 scrapbooking paper worked best...but beware, you will see the inside of the cookie so if your paper is two-sided, it will show.

Use a CD for a pattern.  It really is the perfect size and super easy!  You can get 4 circles on a 12 x 12 piece of paper.  Because I wanted to make a lot of cookies to fill the big glass jar I drew the pattern on one piece of paper, then I gathered 2 or 3 more pieces of paper into a stack and cut them all at once.

I did find that once I had the stack of paper it was easier to cut the stack into 4 pieces, then cut out the stack of circles.  You could obviously go to a scrapbook store and use a die cut machine but I don't have a store near me so I just used scissors and it worked just fine (and I got to watch TV with my husband at the same time).

So now you should have all your messages and circles cut.  You will need some double stick tape or super tape for this next step.
Fold your circle in half and pinch at the center.  DO NOT crease the entire fold, you are just marking a center on your circle.

This might be hard to see so I photographed it two ways:
1.  I used double sided tape (about 2" long) right on top of the crease I just made.

2.  Here I used Super Tape from ThermOWeb to mark the crease.  Both tapes work but I found if I did not use enough double stick tape, the cookie would pop open in the jar by the next day.  The cardstock was so sturdy that the double stick tape did not work at all, only the Super Tape.

Now, lightly fold the circle in half (like a taco, no sharp bottom).  The tape strip must be vertical.  Insert the paper message.

Please forgive me on this one...I was home alone when I photographed this, but IF I had two hands (instead of one clicking the picture) my left hand would be lightly holding the left side of the cookie so that the cookie does not fly across the room.  I am not going to mention how I know the cookie will fly that far. 

Now,  just nudge the center of the cookie (that's where the tape is) with your index finger.

 

A little more...

A little more...until it just bends to the shape.  Once you get the hang of it, it goes quite quickly.  Can you see why you need the tape in the center?

 

Stick your fingers into the cookie and pinch so that the tape sticks together.
 

 Here's the finished cookie

I displayed the fortune cookies in a large glass jar so not only family but anyone who comes by in the month of February can have one. 

 

Hope you try making some...even if it's only a few for the kids lunches!
-happy day!
paula