How to Make a Valentine Paper Chain

By eHow Holidays & Celebrations Editor

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No glue or staples are needed to make this cheerful chain of Valentine hearts.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Making the Heart Links

Step1
Cut a 4-inch by 8-inch rectangle out of construction paper.
Step2
Lay the paper on the table in front of you with the short side of the paper nearest you.
Step3
Fold the bottom edge up to the top edge of the paper to make a 4-inch square.
Step4
Fold the left side of the square over to the right side to make a 2-inch by 4-inch rectangle.
Step5
Make a light pencil mark on the bottom (folded) edge, about ¼ inch away from the left corner.
Step6
Starting near the top of the left (folded) edge, lightly draw the top half of a question mark with your pencil.
Step7
Continue this line diagonally towards the bottom fold in your paper, stopping when your pencil reaches the pencil mark you drew in step 5.
Step8
Make a light pencil mark on the left edge, about ¼ inch above the lower left corner.
Step9
Starting about ½ inch below the line you drew in step 6, draw a second curved line and continue diagonally until it reaches the mark you drew in step 8.
Step10
Cut along both pencil lines with scissors.
Step11
Unfold the paper. You will have two paper heart shapes with cutout heart centers that are attached to each other at the bottom. This makes one heart link.
Step12
Fold the link back together at the bottom fold, making one heart shape.
Step13
Continue making heart links until you have as many as you need for your chain.

Putting the Heart Links Together

Step1
Unfold one heart link.
Step2
Insert half of the link into a folded heart link.
Step3
Fold the link back up.
Step4
Unfold another link.
Step5
Insert half of that link into the link you closed in step 16, adding to the chain.
Step6
Continue to add to the chain by unfolding links, inserting them into the previous link and folding them back up.
Step7
Tape the last link together at the top of the heart when your chain is the desired length.

Tips & Warnings

  • Save the heart shapes you cut out of the center of each link. They can also be used for Valentine decorations.
  • Use the first heart link you make as a pattern for the rest.
  • Use two or more colors of construction paper and alternate the colors as you link the hearts.
  • Help your children count the days until Valentine's Day. Make a chain with fourteen heart links. Tape the last link to an envelope containing a special Valentine's card. Beginning on February 1, tear one link off the chain each day. Tear off the last link and open the card on Valentine's Day.

Comments

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jjmess

jjmess said

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on 2/1/2008 For more about Valentine's Day why not drop in and visit me and my friends at our love and relationship thread on the forum pages: http://www.ehow.com/community/forums/topic_33827_valentine’s-day:-in-love?-broken-hearted?-alone?-how-do-you-deal?.aspx

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eHow Article: How to Make a Valentine Paper Chain

eHow Holidays & Celebrations Editor

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