How to Make This Origami
Valentine Card

You might have trouble giving away this beautiful origami valentine card.

It can be the place to show off some especially beautiful origami paper. 

We used Aitoh™ Shinwaszome Chiyogami, which we purchased at our local speciality artist-supply store.

To shop online, search for “Aitoh.”  You’ll find a bunch of suppliers.

The white side of regular origami paper might show in the slit in the large heart.  To avoid that, you can use color copy paper from a print shop or copy center.  That's what we used for the pink heart.

 
Materials

You can find these items in the scrapbook- and paper-craft area of your local craft store and online.

• Card stock or card kits of your choice.

•  For the large heart, half of a piece of standard 5 7/8 inch (15 cm) origami paper. Or a 6x3-inch piece if you are using another type of paper.  See cutting tips.

• For the small heart, paper ¼ the size of a standard 5 7/8 inch (15 cm) piece of origami paper, or about 3 inches square.

• Quick-dry adhesive for paper.

• Sticky foam strips or dots, optional.  This is what makes the cards extra 3-dimensional.  Alternatively, you could use the adhesive.

• Gold or silver glitter spray, optional.  We used gold glitter.

      Tips:  If using glitter, allow adequate time for setting up your work area and for drying. Read the manufacturer’s instructions before you begin this project.  Please practice on scrap paper, not your finished card!

To make the origami valentine card:

1.      Fold the large heart using your choice of solid-colored paper with our Basic Heart instructions.  Now, you could just spray this heart with glitter, or wait and spray the entire finished card. Or, skip the glitter altogether.

2.     Fold the small heart from patterned paper.  There are two options for folding the small heart:

Fold the Small Heart with Tabs.  This model has the advantage of being puffier and of having the printed side show in its slit, rather than white.  This is what we used.

OR, since you already know how...

Make another Basic Heart starting with a 3½ inch (9 cm) square of paper.  You can find this size in some multi-size packs of origami paper, or cut it yourself.

3.      Make the Arrow.  Some leftover paper is ideal for this.  It can be the same paper as the small heart or a coordinating solid color.

4.      Attach the large heart using foam strips or dots, or adhesive.

5.      If you made a small heart with tabs, glue the tabs down to the back of the heart.

6.     Attach the small heart to the large heart using adhesive or foam. Note:  Again, if using foam, be sure to keep it far enough away from the edge so it doesn’t show when the card is viewed from different angles.

7.      Use adhesive to attach the arrow pieces.

8.      Let the adhesive dry.

9.      (Optional) Spray the whole thing lightly with glitter spray.  If you like, spray a little heavier around the edges of the card.  Let it dry!

Stand back and Ooooh Ahhhh!

See other origami valentine cards and ideas

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