DIY | Valentine’s Day Crafts

Lovefetti Valentine’s box with cards
Kids love to use the hole punch. Busy hands, warm hands, we say! Get busy punching some colorful paper to make these bright Valentine’s Day projects.

Materials

• 8.5" x 11" card stock (3 pieces; for some great options, check out the Paper Source, 919 W Armitage Ave, 773-525-7300)
• Colorful papers for confetti (construction or scrapbook paper, or old magazines)
• Single-hole punch
• School glue or glue stick
• Scissors
• Hand vacuum (wink, wink)

Instructions:

1. “Hamburger-fold” one piece of card stock (i.e. fold it in half, like a book). Hamburger-fold again without creasing the paper. Cut a tear-drop shape along the folded edge to make two identical heart shapes (or, first trace the shape with a pencil.)

2. Prepare the confetti using a hole punch. Scribble on one of the hearts (the box top) with glue. Sprinkle confetti onto the wet glue. Shake off any loose confetti and repeat until the wet glue is covered. Tip: Let little ones pick up confetti with their hands—it helps develop the handwriting muscles.

3. Cut two 1" card-stock strips. Along the long edge of each strip, make ¼" snips into the paper to make tabs. Fold the tabs in alternating directions.

4. Squeeze glue along the outside edge of the undecorated heart (the box bottom). To make the sides of the box, place a paper strip so that it lines up with the edge of the heart shape (half of the tabs should be extending outside of the heart’s edges). Repeat with the second strip, adding glue where the strips overlap and pinching a crease at the bottom point of the heart. Fold the outside tabs around to the bottom of the box and glue in place.

5. From the leftover card stock, cut two thumb-size strips of paper to make box hinges. Glue half of each strip to the top (inside or outside) of the box and the other half to the top outside edge of the box to make hinges.

Other things to try:

• Decorate the box with a candy-heart message written in glue and confetti (e.g. TXT ME, XOXO)
• Let little hands that aren’t strong enough for the hole punch cut little pieces of paper with scissors or dab on multiple colors of paint with a cotton swab for a confetti effect.
• Fill the box with small trinkets nestled in mini cupcake liners.
• Make Valentine cards (blank cards available at Blick Art Materials, 1574 N Kingsbury St, 312-573-0110). On the card, sketch a shape or message lightly in pencil. Trace or fill the shape with glue and confetti. For a 3-D shape, use lots of school glue and confetti. Use your finger to nudge any rebel confetti into position. Alternatively, use double-sided tape instead of glue to decorate the card or envelope.

TIP: Allow the cards to dry completely before putting into envelopes. Really dry.

Blansett-Cummins is founder of Wishcraft Workshop (2312 W Roscoe St , 773-348-9474), where she teaches crafty classes for kids.