This easy five-minute origami project is perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Age: 4+

Duration: 5-10 minutes (depending on the length of your garland)

Learning Outcomes: Practice origami and fine motor skills. Complete a simple but beautiful classroom decoration.

You’ll Need:

• R15204 Economy Origami
• Yarn
• Hole Punch

For this project, you’ll need origami paper, a hole punch, yarn, and lots of willing hands!

First we’ll teach you how to fold the origami heart. Start by folding your paper diagonally, so you have a triangle. Open the triangle, and fold on the other diagonal. Open the paper again. You should have crease marks going from point to point.

Turn your paper so it looks like a diamond in front of you. Fold the top point down to the center of the paper and crease it.

Fold the bottom point up to meet the center of the top fold.

From the center crease on the bottom fold, fold the right half of your soon-to-be heart up.

Bring the left half up to meet the right half in the middle.

Flip your soon-to-be heart over. Fold down the top two points. Fold in the left and right points. When you flip it back over, your heart will be finished! Challenge each student to make several hearts. Not only does practice make perfect, but the more hearts you have, the longer your garland will be!

Once you have collected the class’s hearts, break out the hole punch and the yarn. Punch two holes in the top of each heart.

Finally, thread the yarn through the holes. If the yarn frays or the small holes are tricky for little fingers, try our plastic lacing needles to make the job a little easier.

Once your garland is strung, only your imagination limits its uses! Tape the garland to the edge of tables, desks or cabinets to add color to the classroom. Use the hearts to decorate bulletin boards, doors and hallways!

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