Crafts & Fun

Ages: about five (with help) and up

You’ll need:
• construction paper or scrapbooking paper
• ribbon or yarn
• scissors, glue (a stick is better than craft glue for this project)

1. Place 3 pieces of construction paper together and fold them in half. Cut out half a heart along the seam. (You’ll end up with 3 identical hearts.)

2. With the hearts still folded, glue one half to the next half. (Don’t get any glue inside the folded hearts.)

3. Before you glue the final heart half to the first one (to get the 3-D effect), lay a length of ribbon or yarn as close to the inner fold as you can. When the final heart half is glued down, the ribbon will be in the middle of the hearts.

4. Gently open out the hearts to arrange them evenly.

Tip:
Attach a different length of ribbon to each 3-D heart and suspend for a pretty display.

To make a puffier heart with more dimensions:

1. Cut out 6 identical hearts (if you cut them all at once, it may be a job for strong adult hands).

2. Pile the 6 hearts up. Without unfolding them, apply glue to the fold in each heart and press it onto the one below it.

3. When you reach the last heart, lay a length of ribbon along the fold before gluing it to the heart above it.

4. Open out the hearts to space them evenly.

Tips:
• If you can, cut out all the hearts at once so they will be identical. Or — if they don’t match perfectly — trim them once they’re glued together.
• Experiment with colours. How about a pink, purple and white heart?

Originally published in Today's Parent, February 2007