Everlasting Chocolates ~ A Felt Valentine’s Treats (she: Arianne)

Stop! Don’t throw away that box of Valentine chocolates after you’ve eaten its gooey goodness. Instead refill it with chocolates that never go bad.

(I purchased this box two years ago in a post-Valentine’s clearance for one dollar.)

Here’s our everlasting box of chocolates. Hand-sewn with felt scraps and ribbons, I whipped these beauties out one afternoon two years ago. They’ve been eaten again and again. And they’re still going strong.

I thought the kids would surely chew them to bits. Or I could imagine them suffering other deaths–kicked under couches, thrown into hampers, or crammed into peanut butter sandwiches. Tiny toys generally aren’t a good idea.

But these have lasted a long time. Not one has been lost. Why? The kids treat them like treasures, pulling out the box and carefully selecting their treats, and then tucking them reverently away for next time. Just like I would treat an expensive box of chocolates myself.

Here’s instructions on how to make a few of these beauties. (They could be whipped out more quickly with hot glue. I chose to hand stitch mine. I stuffed them with fabric scraps. You could use wool or fiberfill.)

:: For the chocolate pictured above, cut two circles out of yellow felt, one for the base one for the top. Then cut out of rectangle of black felt and stitch the ends together so it looks like a loop. Cinch one end tight with thread. Stuff. Stitch on base. Attach top with a couple stitches and pull lightly to make it look like a dollop of frosting.

:: For the chocolate pictured on the left in the photo above, cut out four petal shapes from felt and sew the edges together so they come to a point. Stuff just before you close it completely. For the chocolate on the right, cut out a circle from felt and then cut six half-petal shapes from felt. Stitch petal sides to make a point, stuff, and stitch to base.

:: For these yummies, layer ribbons, ric rac, and rectangles of felt and roll or fold up. Stitch closed.

:: For a cookie-style chocolate, cut out one circle of white cotton and stitch around the edge. Pull tight to make a little disc shape. Cut out two circles from felt and stitch on either side, sandwich style.

Enjoy!