Valentine’s Day celebrates love, friendship and admiration. Here’s a simple, meaningful craft to help you celebrate this special day with your family. Show each member of the family how much you care.
What you’ll need
Red construction paper
White construction paper
Glitter
Glue (stick or liquid)
A dark-colored marker
A pencil with an eraser
Stick-on gems
Step 1: Draw the Heart
Fold a piece of red construction or cardstock paper in half hamburger-style (with the two shorter sides together). Next, using the pencil, draw half of a heart—with the middle being on the folded edge, as pictured. This piece will be on the bottom of the box, so be sure to think about how big of a box you want.
Step 2: Cut the Heart
Using the scissors, keep the paper folded and cut along the pencil-drawn line. Once your shape is cut out, unfold it and flatten it out. It should be in the shape of a heart.
Step 3: Trace and Cut
Trace your cut-out heart onto another piece of red construction paper. Next, cut it out. Don’t throw away your leftover pieces of red paper. You’ll need them later.
Step 4: The Sides and Hinges
Now, take your white construction paper and place the edge of the paper in the crook of one of your heart pieces. Gently wrap the white paper along the edge of the heart and use your pencil to make a mark where it meets the tip of the heart. Double that length and add about 1 centimeter at the end. Cut a 2.5-inch thick strip of the white paper. Cut out and keep five additional pieces of the white paper in 2-inch long, 1-inch thick pieces.
Step 5: Construct the Box
Fold the long white strip in half on the pencil mark you made earlier. Then, bend the ends of the strip down and fold the extra centimeter over. Glue that in place, and wait for it to dry.
Fold four of the five small pieces from Step 4 in half. Use your glue stick to coat one side of the folded strips in glue. Attach the pieces evenly spaced along the edge of the heart, with the fold meeting the cut edge.
Step 6: Attaching the Hinge
After the glue is dry, fold the last small white piece of paper in half, but apply the glue to the outside of the paper on the bottom half and the inside of the top half. You’ll use this to attach the lid to the box.
Step 7: Decorate the Box
Using markers, glue, glitter and stickers, help your child decorate their Valentine’s Day box.
Step 8: Fill the Box
Remember the scrap paper you saved? Pull it out and use it to cut small 1-inch by 2-inch slips of paper in both white and red. Use the marker to write sweet notes on them. Then, fill the box.
Some ideas for what to write:
♥ Make family time coupons for “family movie night” or “taco Tuesday” on the slips of paper, and make sure everyone knows they can cash these coupons in to spend time together as a family
.
♥ Create chore coupons. Show your appreciation for a family member by making coupons for helpful tasks, such as helping to shovel the driveway or sweeping the kitchen.
♥ Write love notes. Have each family member write a note for every other family member with something they like about each person.
