DECODER VALENTINES

Ok, these are fun. Elliott has been scribbling "messages" down and then scribbling over them with red since I showed him these. And I have to admit, I am a little addicted too. They would be really fun to make for a small group of friends with little secret messages just for them. They would be a lot of fun for a party invitation too! The tricky part about these is you have to print them out twice. First print out the faint message you want to keep secret, then put that same piece of paper back into the printer and print out the red scribbles on top of the other design. It's a little tricky to remember which way to put the paper back in at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's super easy! You can design your own, or use the two I made. You can download "I've got my eye on you" here, and the hearts here. You can download the red scribbles here. Hopefully your little ones and their valentines have as much fun with them as we have! Now, to make those decoders.

With some cardboard (mine was from a cracker box) punch the center circle out first. This will be the part you use to reveal the messages.

Next, punch the squares around the circles. The reason I did it this way is because it is near impossible to punch a hole centered unless you do the circle first, then the square after. 

Grab your choice of duct tape and cover each side. I used white and needed to do a couple of layers of tape to cover the design on the box. Then grab your exacto knife and trim the circles out as well as the edges off. 

Next, cut a piece of red cellophane small enough to cover the hole, but not so big it pokes out the sides. Use some glue to attach the cellophane over the hole. I got my cellophane from a party store for a few bucks for a large roll. Then glue the two sides together and you're done! Feel free to decorate them with little hearts or just leave them plain. Totally your call. 

Happy decoding!