Simple decorations and handmade cards help celebrate love and friendship. Gather card stock paper, scissors, double-sided tape or glue, thread, and a pencil. Paper can be in assorted solid colors or patterns.
Basic Craft Directions
Start with cutting a circular window for the heart to twirl inside. This can be done in a variety of ways.
- If available, use a circle punch that’s makes at least a 1 3/8 circular hole.
- Draw a circle, using a glass or spool of thread as a pattern. Then poke inside the circle and cut the circle out.
- Use a circle cutter that is used in scrap booking. Set the desired size, place in the center of the paper to be cut, press down, and cut the circle out.
Make a second window the same size as first. This can be a different color paper.
Next, cut the inside heart. With a contrasting color of paper, draw a circle smaller than the window opening. Fold in half and cut a heart shape. Cut a second heart in matching size of the same or a different color paper.
Assemble the Twirling Heart
Cut a thread longer than the circle opening. Place middle of thread over one heart, from top to bottom of the heart. Tape thread in place. Glue or tape second heart over thread and first heart, matching edges, and make sure ends of thread hang out.
Pull gently, but tightly on thread and center heart in window. Tape the thread to top and bottom of window so the heart will be free to twirl.
Glue second window on top of taped side of window, making sure to match window edges. Gently blow and watch the heart spin.
Create Twirling Greeting Cards
Choose size of card to make. Cut and fold a piece of card stock to desired card size. Cut one window in front of card. Cut a cover panel from a patterned piece of paper or other color of card stock. This outside shape can be the same size as the front of the card, or smaller to let the card front show as a border.
Add the heart and thread to window and cover with panel. Open the card and add a message, but be careful to write message so it doesn’t show through the window.
If desired, make two or more windows in the front of the card. Cut hearts from different colors or patterns of paper to see different colors as the heart twirls. These make great valentines or friendship cards.Try cutting other shapes for the inside instead of hearts, such as stars, animals,or butterflies for birthday greetings.
Create a Mobile
Cut several card stock strips two inches wide. Make them different lengths of 2, 4, and 6 inches long. Make one to three windows with twirly hearts in each strip. Hang the twirling heart window strips off a paper plate with yarn. Add a yarn hanger to hang the mobile. Add other heart cutouts and styles to the mobile, such as crayon melt hearts.
Write words around the hearts, such as friends, love, and together.
Create Centerpieces
Make windows with twirling hearts. Cut around each window tin a heart shape. Attach long wooden skewers to the bottom of each paper heart. Cut skewers to various lengths. Wind green florist tape around each skewer to make stems. Place a piece of Styrofoam into the bottom of a shallow container. Push the skewers into the foam to create a centerpiece. Add artificial greenery if desired.
Make smaller heart windows, add toothpick stems, and stick into gumdrops for place cards.
With a little imagination the basic twirly heart window technique can be used for many decorations.
Karen Whiting - Professional freelance writer with ten published books and hundreds of published articles. My books are for women (time management and ...
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