A Chocoholic Lives Here

By the way, according to Wikipedia, a chocoholic is a person who craves or compulsively consumes chocolate. There is some medical evidence to support the existence of actual addiction to chocolate. It's a real thing. You’re welcome.

If you ask S what Valentine’s Day is about she will tell you: chocolate and pretty flowers. I may or may not have told her that as a friendly reminder to her daddy.

However this year is different because I won’t be asking for chocolates. I know how long that will take me to run off. No thanks.

So here is my guilt –free solution to having chocolate on Valentine’s Day. I saw something similar to this on Pinterest, but unfortunately it was just a picture with no link to follow. I hate it when that happens! So I apologize to whomever the original maker is for not being able to credit you. 

What you will need:

-Styrofoam balls – I used 2.5” balls and cut them in half

-Styrofoam board – I used a 1” thick board and cut squares and rectangles that were roughly 2” wide

-Cardboard – This will be your heart

-Poster board – I cut two strips and used them for my heart-box “sides”

-Tissue Paper – used to cover the bottom and sides of your heart-box

-Crepe Paper (streamers) – I used maybe half a roll.

-Baking cups

-Paints – Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate in color

-Ribbon – to hang your finished project

-Brushes, Hot glue gun, Elmer’s glue stick, toothpicks, a pen

- A box of chocolates for reference. I used Google because I hate running. Chocolate=Running.

Step One: Cut out your candies. I didn’t take a picture of this step because I enjoy having all ten of my fingers. Cutting the Styrofoam balls was possibly the hardest part of this project. 

Step Two: Paint the first coat on your chocolates. I had a great helper and I hope you do too!

 

Step Three: Grab your cardboard and cut out a heart shape. I used a Valentine’s placemat that we have for Sophia. I am no good at drawing hearts that are symmetrical.

Step Four: Grab the extra Styrofoam board, and your toothpicks. By this time your first coat of paint should be dry. The first coat soaks into the Styrofoam so it dries quickly. Next, stab the toothpicks into the bottom of your chocolates and stand them up using the extra Styrofoam. This allows you to paint closer to the edges, and makes for a smaller mess. Paint on your second coat.

 

Step Five: Glue a sheet of tissue paper to your heart cut out. (I used a stick of Elmer’s glue for this) Cut off the extra that hangs over the edge of your heart.

Step Six: Cut two strips of poster board about 2.5” wide. The total length will be determined by the size of your heart. Fold over half an inch and cut slits on this half inch. This will be glued to the back of your heart.

 

Step Seven:  Wrap these strips in tissue paper. Again, I used the glue stick for this part.

Step Eight: Paint the final coat onto your Chocolates. 

Step Nine: Glue the folded edge of your poster board to the back of your heart using your hot glue gun. Cut the excess on each side off.

Step Ten: Use the hot glue gun to glue on your crepe paper. I ruffled mine up along the way to give it more “wow”. 

Step Eleven: When your chocolates are dry, transfer them onto a sheet of wax paper.

Step Twelve: Drizzle your chocolates with paint. I used a frosting piping bag for this step. A sandwich baggy with the corner cut will work, too.

Step Thirteen: Let your drizzled chocolates dry completely. Next, hot glue the bottom of each chocolate into a baking cup. I used two baking cups per chocolate. (Remember to glue the baking cups to each other, or your chocolates will fall when you hang the wreath.)

Step Fourteen: Hot glue your chocolates into the box.

Step Fifteen: Glue the ribbon to the back of your “box.” 

Step Sixteen: Hang your guilt-free chocolates for all to see. 

The total cost for this project - $16. You really can't beat that.