With all the V-day excitement in the air comes the inevitable concern of what to gift. Visiting gift shops and scouting for unique gifts at the last moment is passé. And no, online shopping is not always the answer. It’s time to raid your childhood craft supplies and surprise your Valentine with a handmade DIY. Age no bar, of course.

1

And Origami Heart

  1. Hold a 6x6 paper, coloured side down like a kite and fold it in half from both sides. You should have 2 creases (a horizontal and a vertical) running across the centre of the paper if you open it.
  2. Still holding like a kite, fold the top point of the paper to meet the crease in the centre and fold the bottom point to meet the top.
  3. Fold the right and left sides to meet the crease in the centre. By now you should see the basic shape of a heart.
  4. Flip over the paper and fold the small corners on the sides and the top and your origami heart is ready.
There are several ways to use this Origami heart. Simply make a bouquet of hand-crafted hearts or scribble sweet love notes inside, this unique gift is a keepsake. For the book lovers, this can double up as a book mark.

2

A Pixelated Pop-up Card

  1. Draw a template similar to the one shown above (left) on to a sheet of paper (pink or red, take your pick) and trim along the outlines.
  2. Use the blunt edge of your craft knife to fold along the uncut lines to creating the pop-up look.
  3. Fold the top of the card inwards and the bottom half of the heart should begin to push out.
  4. Fold card completely in half and smooth down
  5. For a clean finish, make a separate outer card glue the popup insert inside.

3

Paper Quilling Wall Art

  1. Buy yourself some ready-made coloured paper strips from the stationery store.
  2. Prepare a heart shaped template on a blank canvas.
  3. Quill the strips in different forms and sizes until you fill the heart shape.
  4. Use a variety of shades in red to give it a gradient effect.