Stick With Us: This DIY Garden Stake Makes a Great Valentine's Gift

I've always been a fan of house plants, so you'll find an assortment of greenery throughout our home. To best appreciate these potted wonders, I like to switch out accompanying garden stakes to reflect the current holiday or season. This seasonal task is not only festive, but is also an easy enough craft that my kids love to get involved too. 

Bonus: These DIY garden stakes make a great Valentine's Day gift for your kids to give the people they love!

DIY Heart-Shaped Garden Stakes 

Supplies:

• Wood heart on a stick -- or any shape you'd like! (You can find these in the woodworking section of your craft store.)
• Assorted pony beads or gems
• Grout (find this in the mosaic section of your craft store) 
• Mosaic grout sealer
• Paint and decorative ribbon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Optional: Paint the back and side edges of your wooden heart. (It's much easier to do this first, before you work with the grout.)
2. Get creative! Glue beads or gems to the front side of the heart. 
3. Mix the sanded grout according to the directions on the package. Use your best judgment for consistency. If the grout is too thick, it will be hard to apply. If the grout is too thin, it will drip off your project. 
4. Spread the grout around the front of the heart. We used our fingers to help get into the small crevices. Note: It's okay if some of the grout gets on the beads. As the grout hardens, you can use a clean, wet rag to carefully wipe the grout off the beads.
5. Apply grout sealer. This will help ensure your project doesn't crack.
6. Optional: Once the grout is set, add a decorative ribbon to the dowel rod for some extra style.

These stakes make a great DIY gift for Valentine's Day -- and, depending on the shape, color, and bead combinations you use -- for any number of holidays, any time of the year.

Sarah Hauge is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Englewood, Greenwood Village, Centennial, Colo.

Macaroni Kid Long Beach-Oceanside-Rockville Centre has a free local event calendar focused on family fun in 10 towns on the South Shore of Long Island. We include local family events and activities, classes, businesses and reviews. We also have recipes, crafts, school/camp guides and so much more. We proudly serve families in Long Beach, Oceanside, Rockville Centre, Island Park, Lido Beach, Lynbrook, East Rockaway, Baldwin, Freeport and Malverne!