With Valentine’s coming up, you may want to try this cookie valentine bouquet.

It is sure to please that special person you share it with. Valentine’s Day presents the perfect opportunity for lighthearted expressions of love or friendship. Whether the object of your affection is a child of 2 or a grandparent of 82, he or she will enjoy one of these thoughtful Valentines.

Sweet Valentine Cookie Bouquet

To make a bouquet for a gift or centerpiece, use a clean flowerpot or empty can. Paint the can or flowerpot red or cover with Valentine’s Day wrapping paper. Glue eyelet lace around top and bottom of can. Purchase 2 dozen flower-shaped cookies with holes in the center, 1 to 2 dozen large heart-shaped red gumdrops, 1 to 2 dozen bamboo skewers and 2 3-inch-thick pieces of Styrofoam to fit in can. Glue Styrofoam to inside bottom of can.

To make flowers, push a skewer through center of one of the gumdrops, through center of a cookie and then another gumdrop. Push cookie and gumdrops together sandwich-style on end of skewer. Insert other end of skewer into Styrofoam inside flowerpot. Tie a red bow under the cookie.

Cut skewers so flowers will be different heights. Add green asparagus fern, available from a florist, to contrast with you bouquet. Idea can be used all year by substituting colored gumdrops for heart-shaped gumdrops and changing the color of ribbon.

Candy-Message Valentines

Give your friends a candy-bar hello. On a piece of posterboard, write your Valentine greeting so candy bar forms part of the message.
    Some suggested messages might include:
    — I (mint) to ask you to be my Valentine.
    — Valentine, you stole a (Big Hunk) of my heart.
    — I chews (gum) you to be my Valentine.
    — You’re the (Cup o’ Gold) at the end of my rainbow.
    — I’d run a (Marathon bar) for you, Valentine.