GROUP HUG Kindness Craft – Make a “Hug” Jar!

Since my latest book GROUP HUG hit bookstore and library shelves, I’ve had so much fun reading and talking about hugs. But as we all know, and especially now, hugs aren’t appropriate or possible in every situation.

But there are so many ways to show kindness.

We can offer a kind word. Help with a chore. Give a wave or a smile. Write a letter. These are all great ideas! And here’s one more –

we can make our someone special a hug jar!

Here’s what you’ll need: a clear glass or plastic jar – a clean peanut butter jar is perfect – or an old vase, scissors, paper (any colors will do) tape, and crayons or markers.

And here’s what you do:

  • Cut out the heart for your face. In the video below, I’ll show you a nifty way to make a heart. But, if it’s easier, I created a template that you can download right here!
  • Now draw a face on it. You can add hair and a smile … even eyelashes if you want.
  • Then, cut out your heart hands – two of them, smaller than the face, a different color or the same.
  • Next, cut out your hugging arms – two of them, however long you want them to be. You can make them a different color or the same as your heart face. Either is just fine.
  • Tape the arms to the back of the heart face. And tape the heart hands to the back of the arms.
  • Then with your heart face at the back peeking through your jar, wrap your arms around the jar and use a little bit of tape to hold it all in place.
  • And to finish it off, add a sign “Hugs for (Fill in the name of your someone special here!)”
  • Now comes the best part – filling the jar with “hugs.” Cut up pieces of paper. You can even use scrap paper. And on each piece, write a special note, a kindness, a compliment, or draw some art. And then fold it up and add it to the hug jar. Hug messages might include something like:
    • I love you.
    • Love and kisses.
    • You are my sunshine.
    • You’re a wonderful reader.
    • I love playing games with you.
    • I love when you sing.
    • I’ll pick up my toys.
    • Thank you for being my grandma!
    • A picture of a rainbow.
    • A picture of a beautiful tree
    • A picture of your dog
    • A self-portrait

You can add as many “hugs” as you want. And your special person can pull out a hug once a day or whenever they need one. Because you can always fill up their jar again when they run out.

To make things even easier, check out my step-by-step “Hug” Jar Video.

Friends, you can make a hug jar for any special someone. And I guarantee that every time you make someone happy with a kindness, you’ll feel happy too. Because, after all, “a hugger finds happiness ‘longside the hugged.”

I hope you love GROUP HUG!

Give yourselves a great, BIG hug from me. And have a great rest of your day!

(To find out more about GROUP HUG or to purchase your copy check out the GROUP HUG book page.)