The heart shape is a traditional and enduring symbol of love when celebrating Valentine’s Day. Why not display a beautiful heart with creativity in your home starting this week with this easy to make eye-catching version using easy to cut paper strips and a stapler? That’s all you need to make memories, while you craft lots of fun with your family.

Grab some pink, red and white construction paper or other colorful paper with or without designs that fits your vision for hearts, and enjoy this messless paper craft activity with your school-age kids. Your preschooler can also lend a hand, when you make it together.

Here’s the stuff you’ll need:

• 3 sheets of construction paper in three different colors (I chose white, dark pink and a light shade of pink for these directions.)
• ruler
• pencil
• scissors
• paper cutter (optional)
• stapler
• glue (optional)
• thread or fishing line for hanging (optional)

Here’s the fun:

1. For each heart with the colors I used, measure, mark with a pencil and cut with scissors or a paper cutter:

2 strips of white construction paper, 1 inch by 3 inches

2 strips of dark pink construction paper, 1 inch by 5 inches

2 strips of light pink construction paper, 1 inch by 7 inches

2. Pile the 6 strips, starting with one white short strip, one dark-pink strip, two light pink strips, the second dark pink strip and end with the one short white strip on top. They should be evenly stacked up at one end. Carefully staple this 1-inch-wide stack about 1/4 inch from the even end.
3. Bring the loose ends of the white strips away from the pile (and over the staple) to form a heart shape. Hold with one hand as you pull back the light pink strips and then the dark pink strips in the same manner.

Staple the six strips together near the pointed end of the heart.

Bend paper near the staple to spread out the sides.

4. Tie or glue twine or thin ribbon to the heart and hang in a window, from a lamp or other fixture in your home. It can be used as a clever gift-tag decoration, too.

You can find extra step-by-step photos at www.donnaerickson.com. Simply search for “Decorative Paper Strip Hearts.”

If you make more, string several in different sizes vertically with fishing line and hang from a hook attached to the ceiling or by a window and watch it move freely with the air.

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Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”

© 2017 Donna Erickson

Distributed by King Features Syndicate