Our version looks quite a bit different than the picture perfect Real Simple version that I got the inspiration from, but in the end I definitely like ours better, because my boys did all of the cutting, tracing, and stringing themselves. My 4 1/2 year old did all of the cutting, and my 3 year old did most of the stringing.
Also, my 4 1/2 year old was the one who decided we should write on all of these hearts. I wrote the words and he traced over them. We started just writing love and then added ἀγάπη (agape, love in Greek) and 爱 (Ài, love in Mandarin). Then we wrote a bunch of people we love (our family names, grandparents and extended family, friends, etc.). You could also write about what love really is, but I think we're going to do other projects later doing that.
Homemade Paper Heart Garland
- Paper
- Yarn or string
- Tape and/or plastic straws for "sewing" (optional, but makes it a lot easier)
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Pencil
- Markers (optional)
- Other embellishments like stickers if desired
- Trace half hearts onto folded paper and let a preschooler who can be trusted with scissors cut them out.
- If desired write and/or trace words on the hearts.
- If desired put on stickers or other extra embellishments.
- Punch a hole on each side of the heart.
- String hearts onto yarn or string to make a garland. (I threaded the yarn through part of a small plastic straw that I cut at an angle for a "needle." This made "sewing" the hearts together much easier. You can also tape around the end to just make it a little stiffer, like the end of a shoelace.)
- Tie off and hang up the garland to enjoy.