Non-Candy Valentine for kids: DIY Paper Heart Wand
Make Valentine’s Day magical with DIY paper heart wands as a non-candy valentine gift alternative for the classroom.
My preschooler loves these non-candy valentine DIY paper heart wands and she helped make them for her whole class – to include the teachers. I let her choose the paper colors and which sayings go on each wand. She wrote her name on the back of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo printable tag.
The DIY Paper Heart Wand with Cricut combines the print-then-cut feature with standard cardstock cuts and is suitable for the Cricut Explore Air or Cricut Maker model cutting machines. This Cricut paper craft is simple to cut and assemble using craft glue and hot glue. Even without making this project into a wand, the folder over design makes super cute Valentine cards as well.
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WHERE CAN I FIND the DIY Paper Heart Wand CUT FILE?
For the non-candy valentine for kids DIY paper heart wand, sign up here to unlock the resource library and grab the free SVG cut file. You will find this in the Valentine’s Day Craft section of the resource library. While you are there, don’t forget to pick up the free Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo printable tag to complete the gift.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A DIY PAPER HEART WAND WITH CRICUT
- Free cut file and printable in my resource library – sign up below
- Cricut Cutting Machine (Explorer or Maker)
- Cricut Mat for paper (light grip or standard grip)
- Fine Point Blade
- Printer (see note below to use black vinyl as an alternative)
- Cardstock in Red, Pink and white
- Precision craft glue
- Hot glue
- Double sided foam adhesive (optional)
- Wooden Dowels (alternative: chopsticks or skewers with the pointy tip removed)
- Ribbon as an embellishment (optional)
- Xacto Knife
DIRECTIONS
The DIY Paper Heart Wand project cut file comes with instructions embedded into the file itself. The easiest way to make the small conversation hearts is to prepare them as print and cut.
NOTE: if you do not have a printer, you could change the words to a pen function and write the words with a Cricut pen instead.
After you download the free project design file, upload it to Cricut Design space. The design will be all grouped together.
First, with the whole design selected, click ungroup.
To prepare as a print and cut conversation hearts, select the conversation hearts and click upgroup again. You will notice in the layers panel that each heart is grouped. Click on one at a time and select flatten. This will convert the text and heart to print-and-cut. That’s it! Repeat for each conversation heart. It may look like the heart has disappeared within Design Space, but that is because it is white and is blending in with the canvas color.
NOTE: You can not select them all at once or Design space will merge them all together and we want each heart to be cut separately.
Before selecting ‘Make it’ be sure to delete the instruction text. Print then cut the conversation hearts on white cardstock or regular printer paper. Cut the two heart lattices on white cardstock or printer paper. The shadow heart and the folder over base are the pops of color and should be two colors that work well together such as light pink and a darker glitter pink.
Reuse the print then cut white paper for cutting the two heart lattices.
Save the extra hearts cut from the heart lattice. You can uses these to decorate other heart wands and skip cutting more heart lattice.
Assemble paper heart wand
Once all the cutting is complete, you will end with the following pieces:
- conversation hearts with the sayings
- 2 shadow layers for the conversation heart (the second one can go on the back)
- two heart lattices
- folder over base shape
Once all the paper heart is assembled, hot glue a wooden dowel to the center. Fold over the top and hot glue the other side.
Add a bow to complete the DIY paper Heart Wand.
Don’t forget the free printable Valentine tag!
My resource library also has a free printable tag created just for this project. The final step is to cut a top and bottom slit in the tag with an Xacto knife and slide the tag onto the wooden dowel.
WAS THIS TUTORIAL HELPFUL?
Did you find this tutorial how to make DIY paper Heart Wands with Cricut helpful? If so, please pin this idea and let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
