1.12.2023

Paper Valentine's Day Banner (Tutorial)

While it may not even be my favorite holiday to celebrate (and in fact, we rarely do!), I love to craft for Valentine's Day.  There's not the Christmas pressure to produce everything from gifts to decorations to food, plus the iconography couldn't be any simpler--the heart.
Just try cutting out a Santa Claus from paper and you'll appreciate the simple beauty of the heart even more.  And yep, I still cut them out kindergarten-style, by folding paper in half and cutting a candy cane shape.

I adore banners, and decided to make an easy paper one to hang in the doorway between the kitchen and living room.
You could make this as simple or elaborate as you'd like.  It could be just plain hearts cut from construction paper, or ones that have a bit of ruffly-ruffly, like mine.  Can you guess what that ruffle is?
Hint: it's an an accoutrement of one of my favorite beverages.

So what do you need to make a cute banner?  Some red/pink/orange and/or purple paper.  I love using scrapbook paper scraps
and pages ripped from an old book, in my case an old childhood dictionary--the horror!!).
With those book pages, I did some watercolor doodles as Soren painted and drew along with me.  It actually is possible to craft while kids are busy!
We also used some paper that we had painted in a previous art session.
Other supplies: scissors, a glue stick, clothespins and a ribbon or string and coffee filters! That's the secret ruffly ingredient.
Rather than experiment with sizes, I made a heart template out of card stock, well, actually 3 sizes, small medium and large.  I wanted there to be 3 sizes on the banner.
I traced the templates onto the pretty paper, then cut them out.  I cut slightly larger and smaller hearts out of coordinating paper, then glued them on in layers.  You can see in the finished product below (not sure why I didn't take photos while in process.
I also added the coffee filter ruffle by folding the paper into 4ths
 And adding a scalloped edge.  When it opens up, it looks pretty and frilly, like a simple doily.
Just glue your heart on top.  I also added another heart to the back, since you can see both sides of my banner.
I also added some square panels in between the hearts by cutting the book paper in half, folding it in half, cutting a scalloped edge along the bottom, and then cutting a heart out of the center.
I then just folded it over the string, not even attaching it (though you could with tape or a staple).
Here's a view from the back, which is a little less elaborate.
I'll definitely be reusing this each year. The best part is that all the hearts simply clip off and can be stored in an envelope or folder until next year.
Next up: a Valentine's wreath for my front door--I'm thinking something with felt or yarn.  Let me know if you have any ideas or links to some blogs.


4 comments:

Ammie said...

This is lovely. I most like the variety of your hearts: painted, coffee filter doilies, small, big, negative space. . .

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