This mixed media heart garland craft is made with a variety of material. Students decorate one or more cardboard hearts which are then assembled together for a collaborative craft class project that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day! This engaging activity not only encourages creativity but also fosters teamwork among students, making it a memorable experience for the whole class!
While students are creating the heart garland, you can emphasize the values of sharing and collaboration. Each child can contribute their unique design, and when combined, their individual creations reflect a beautiful tapestry of their combined efforts. This activity is a great opportunity for teachers to discuss the significance of community and working together towards a common goal. Keep reading for materials and instructions.
Materials
- Scissors
- Bottle of glue (school glue or tacky glue, which holds sequins a little better)
- Twine or yarn
- Markers
- Glitter paper or scrap paper cut into strips and shapes.
- Cardboard
- Construction paper
- Other
Directions
First, gather all your craft supplies. I repurposed some cardboard for this craft and used pink and gold glitter paper, sequins, and markers to decorate the hearts. To hang them, I utilized twine, but yarn can work just as well. You can use reuse scrap paper other materials for this craft and teach students about recycling and creative reuse of materials.
To simplify the process, you may want to cut out multiple cardboard hearts ahead of time. This ensures that students can dive straight into the decorating process, allowing for a smoother and more enjoyable crafting experience. By preparing the materials beforehand, you also minimize waiting time and maximize creativity.
To get started, students can choose a cardboard heart, then start coloring it using markers on one or both sides.
You can have some pre-cut pieces of glitter paper ready to go too. Students can then glue these decorative glitter paper pieces to their hearts, creating layers of texture and color. This layering effect can introduce young learners to concepts like contrast and composition in art.
As you guide students through the crafting process, remind them that there’s no right or wrong way to decorate their hearts. Encourage them to express their individuality through their designs, reinforcing the idea that art is subjective and personal.
For the hearts in the pictures below, I added some strips of glitter paper, then trimmed off the excess. I also added glitter paper to the back of the heart but students don’t need to decorate the backs unless they want to.
Now it’s time for sequins!
Set out some sequins in a variety of colors and sizes so students can select their favorites. This makes the decorating process more exciting and teaches students to make choices and consider color combinations.
I found a bunch of gold glitter heart confetti which was perfect for this craft!
Using small drops of glue, students can carefully place each sequin. This step enhances fine motor skills as students manipulate small materials.
Attach some twine to the back of the heart. For this part, take a square of the glitter paper, set the ends of the twine on top, and then glue it to the back of the heart. Hold the piece in place until it sticks on its own, and then trim any excess twine.
Once all of the hearts are finished, string them on a longer piece of twine to complete the heart garland! This final step brings everything together and showcases each student’s unique handiwork. Finally, hang the garland in the classroom to celebrate the season of love and friendship!
Thanks for reading and have a Happy Valentine’s Day!