I can’t remember how it popped into my head, but the other day I was daydreaming and realized that red glow sticks would make amazing red hot coils on a toy stove. But why would anyone need to make a miniature stove? A punny Valentine’s Day card is the perfect excuse! I didn’t have any glow sticks in my craft stash, and since one of my goals this year is to use supplies I already have on hand, I decided to use red pipe cleaners instead. I still think using glow sticks for this would be SO perfect, but using pipe cleaners instead is probably a lot easier to work with and hopefully something most people already have at home!

I also happen to have a lot of office stickers (some from the dollar store, others from the thrift store) and they came in really handy here. If you have number stamps, you could even stamp 02:14 in the digital display of these stoves as a little nod to Valentine’s Day! And in case you missed them, Abby’s DIY washing machine valentines are so adorable – who knew there could be so many appliance-themed puns for Valentine’s Day!

• Red pipe cleaners
• White glue
• Illustration board (or cereal box cardboard)
• Office stickers in various sizes
• Ink pad and stamps (or marker)
• Craft knife
• Cutting mat
• Ruler
• Pencil

how-to:

Step 1

Use a pencil and ruler to draw a 4-inch square onto your cardboard and add a 1-inch rectangle across the top. Use scissors or a craft knife and cutting mat to cut out the entire shape. I used an illustration board since I had it on hand, but you can easily paint cereal box cardboard white if that’s easier for you.

Step 2
Fold along the line separating the square from the rectangle – if you’re using illustration board, or thicker cardboard that isn’t easy to fold, it helps to use the craft knife to score the line on the back and then fold.

Step 3
Cut two full-length pipe cleaners in half – each one will form a red hor burner for your mini stove. Shape each piece into a small spiral and use white glue to attach it to the card.

Step 4
Use round and rectangular office stickers to make the dials and digital display for your stove. I found a big box of assorted shapes and sizes at a thrift store a while ago, so I used those, but you can instead just draw them on or use a hole punch to make mini circles to glue on.

Step 5
Once the glue is dry, on the back of the valentine, stamp or write out the message “Valentine, our love is red hot!”

Happy Valentine’s Day!