DIYs for your Valentine: Five easy-to-make paper crafts for your paramour
An example of a student working on the snowflake hearts. All of these crafts take minimal time to complete, averaging in the range of 6-9 minutes; in addition, the only materials needed to create them likely exist on one’s house. Assuming they are not located in one’s home, purchasing cost should not exceed the $10 limit.
February 14, 2019
This day brings out strong emotions: a range of envy to indifference for a fair share of people, but generally feelings of attraction, sensuality, and most commonly: love. Obviously, tis’ the season of Valentine’s Day.
The origins of the holiday, while up to interpretation, tend to found themselves on a basis of genuine love. Whether St. Valentine performed marriages for young lovers or wrote letters for the daughter of his jailor, the holiday always revolved around doing something for a loved one, romantic or otherwise. Sadly, this can prove difficult to accomplish: not everyone possesses the time to buy and deliver presents to their loved ones, a completely reasonable hurdle to climb over.
In other cases, a good (or even mediocre) present just costs too much. Take, for example, the ever-present Kay Jewelers Valentine’s Day deals: the commercials make buying any of their products seem like the snag of the year. The “low” prices gain that moniker relative to their normal prices, and even now the cheapest heart necklace will cost just under $100. If one dealer charges that much for a fairly specific item group, imagine what retailers would charge for simpler items. Considering the responsibilities a relationship entails, one may feel the need to buy something overly expensive. For those who feel that way, the following section contains three DIY Valentine’s crafts, creatable with basic household supplies.
Paper Snowflake Card: Construction Time: 5-7 minutes
An example of what an ideal snowflake paper heart looks like. While using two different pieces of construction paper results in the best color variety, one can just as easily use the card paper for the snowflakes, and vise versa; to ensure both remain conjoined, trace their respective shapes along the creased line after folding the paper.
Materials
- Scissors
- Glue
- Writing utensil
- A printed copy of heart template; found on this website
- 1-2 sheets of construction paper
Instructions
- Cut out the part of the construction paper labeled “card”
- Fold one sheet of construction paper in half hamburger style; then, place the downward pointing portion of the heart along the crease.
- Trace along the heart, starting from either side for a roughly heart-shaped outline. When done, cut along the traced shape to create the base card (it should open and close like a book).
- Cut out the “snowflake shape” from the template to create the snowflake.
- To create the snowflake, place the straight edge facing upwards along folded construction paper (the paper used for the card will work, but only along the creased edge); trace it and cut it, then repeat.
- (For both snowflakes) Pull the top point down so it lines up with the point just before the curve; take your top point and fold it so it overlays the original angle.
- To create snowflakes, choose a shape, and draw half of it on the side with the crease or 90-degree fold; cut alongside the trace.
- Open up your snowflake heart and glue it on the heart card, then deliver.
Bow-Tie Hearts: Construction Time: 3-4 minutes
Both the half and full heart bowties, lying on a table. While the whole hearts should come out firmly together, the half-hearts often appear rather fragile, as if the slightest pull would tear it apart. It should look like this, so exercise caution when handling it; carefully folding them on each other helps keep them together.
Materials
- Scissors, preferably
- Writing utensil
- Colored paper
- Colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc. (optional)
- Stickers (optional)
Instructions
- Fold a sheet of colored paper 3 times in hamburger, hotdog, hamburger order; make sure that the paper folds evenly onto itself, and that no part of it overlaps..
- Trace the shape of either a whole heart or a half alongside the creased side, then cut along the line.
- Ensure the scissors used can cut through the triple-folded paper.
- After cutting along the traced heart line, a pair of large hearts should fall out naturally (if done correctly, the hearts should come out conjoined down the middle); decorate as per your own tastes, or hang as room decor.
Paper Heart Chain: Construction Time: 10-15 minutes
The chain hearts hung up against a classroom door. Like with the snowflake hearts, trace the hearts alongside the creased edge to ensure the pairs come out conjoined. After cutting out the hearts, pairs may come out attached to each other, joined at the heart’s bottom point; pull them slightly to remove safely.
Materials
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Paper; colored construction, printer, or notebook
- Strings, tape or any similar binding material
- Coloring utensils (crayons, markers, etc.); optional
Instructions
- Take a sheet of colored paper and fold in half hotdog style; cut along the creased line, then separate the two halves.
- For each half, fold it horizontally twice (a square shape with flaps on the bottom will indicate a successful fold); after that, trace the shape of a heart on that sheet, with the bottom point near the center of the (top side’s bottom).
- Cut along the heart shape; to ensure the pieces remain together, ensure the top left corner of each drawing contains a miniature bend to it, similar to a book’s spine.
- If done successfully, two conjoined hearts will emerge from the paper.
- Trim off any excess paper, but ensure the fold remains.
- Repeat at least one more time for an ample amount of hearts.
- Color and decorate each heart to your desire.
- To combine each set of hearts together, place 2 conjoined hearts and tape the “inside” portion together. Repeat with all cut-out hearts.
- Hang up the chain.
Though it may seem as if modern culture makes the purchase of $150+ Valentine’s gifts a requirement, hand-crafting a present can just as easily show your loved ones how much you care. Just ask St. Valentine.
