Kai-lan Heart-Shaped Box

Share the love with this super cute token from Kai-lan. This gift will surely be cherished for years!

Watch Kai-lan every day on Nick Jr.

Materials

• Kai-lan Heart Box Cover Images
• Scissors
• 3 two-oz. blocks red polymer clay (such as Sculpey®)
• 1 two-oz. block polymer clay (such as Sculpey®)
• Clay rolling pin, can, or any cylinder-shaped object
• Non-serrated plastic knife
• Glass baking pan
• All-in-one glue, sealer, and finish (such as Mod Podge®)
• Foam paintbrush

Directions

1. Step 1

   Print out Kai-lan's heart box cover images. Choose your favorite design and cut out the heart shape with your kids.

2. Step 2

   Knead a block of red polymer clay until it's soft. Help your child roll it into a ball, flatten it, and then use the rolling pin to roll out the piece until it's big enough to cover the heart shape. Place the paper heart shape on top of the clay layer, and help your child cut around the heart shape with the plastic knife. Peel away the edges. Use another block of red polymer clay to make one more identical heart piece. Set the two heart shapes aside.

3. Step 3

   Have your child roll a 1-inch ball of red clay, then re-roll it into a long strand, so it's long enough to go around the heart shape. Try to keep a uniform thickness. Use the rolling pin to roll the strand flat, into roughly a 3/4-inch-wide strap. The flat strap will be the side of your box base. Place the flat strap vertically along the edge of one clay heart piece. Cut off clay of the additional length and knead the two ends of the strap together. Press slightly down on the strap's edge to make it join the bottom heart shape. Put the clay heart, together with the strap, facing up on the glass pan and bake at 275°F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. (Parents should do this part.)

4. Step 4

   Repeat Step 3 to create another flat strap that'll be the side of the box lid. Make it slightly narrower than the previous strap. Fix the flat strap vertically along the hardened box base's inner side. Place the unbaked clay heart on top of the box base. Flip the whole "box" over and then remove the baked box bottom. Now you have the box lid with its side strap sticking up. Press slightly down on the strap's edge to make it join the heart shape. Put the box lid, with the strap on top, on the glass pan and bake at 275°F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. (Parents should do this part.)

5. Step 5

   With the foam paintbrush, have your child apply the all-in-one glue to the back of the paper heart cutout and lay on the top of the box lid. Press firmly to remove air bubbles. Wait for 15 minutes and apply the glue to the surface of the heart image and the lid's edge. This creates a plastic look of the paper image and will seal it completely to the box lid. Let dry.