Easy to make Valentine cards for kids

The weather outside is frightful…I know I sound like a Christmas song and here it is January.  It’s bleak, it’s cold and sometimes it snows.  What is worse is the fact that schools close during inclement weather and the kids are bored.  The best thing to do is to set them to crafting.  Since it will only be a few weeks until Valentine’s Day, why not have them create some handmade cards.  Have a pack of construction paper and some tacky glue on hand and you’re all set.

When I was a little girl, my uncle would sit and fold my siblings and I hats out of old newspapers.  I had no idea at the time but he was teaching us a paper folding technique called Origami.  Since that time I have become quite proficient at paper folding. This project uses a simple traditional origami heart.

You will need:

Construction paper or any available colored paper (scrapbooking paper works great)

Tacky glue

Scissors

Paper edgers

Ruler

Pencil

Imagination—You don’t have to use traditional pinks and reds you know

1.     Cut a piece of red or pink construction paper into a 4” x 4” square.  Cut another 4” x 4” piece of construction paper in a contrasting color.

2.     Fold the pink square in half.  Turn and fold in half again.

3.     Open the paper and fold the bottom edge up to the center fold line.  Repeat with other side. Fold in half.

4.      Fold one side up using the center fold line as a guide.  Repeat for the other side. 

6.     Turn over.  (Front of heart) You have formed a little pocket.  Fold the top corner under on each side of the right side of the heart.  Repeat for the left side of the heart.

 

7.     Spread some tacky glue onto the back of the heart and attach it to the contrasting colored square.  Let dry. Cut around with the paper edgers following the lines of the heart.

8.     Optional:  Cut a strip of paper and write “To my Valentine” on it.  Fold and sign.  Insert in the heart pocket.

To make the envelope:

 Cut a piece of paper 4 ½” x 12.”  Fold up 4 inches.  Glue the sides to make an envelope.  Fold the top down.  Insert the card.

Note:  If you would rather not have the mini pocket in the heart,  do not turn the heart over as in step #6, fold the corners at the top of the heart in the opposite direction, and glue onto the contrasting paper as a semi-dimentional heart.  You can write on the heart before giving it as a card.