Valentine’s Day is almost here! The February 14 holiday is all about love. People with heart eyes for each other are often called “love bugs.” You can make your own love bug out of paper. Read on for steps to make a lovely snail with a heart shell!
What You’ll Need
Colored paper or
(Red, purple, pink, and white are popular Valentine’s colors.)
Pencil or pen
Scissors
Tape or glue
: Googly eyes
Steps
1. Take a piece of colored paper or cardstock. (Thick paper works best for this part.) Cut a strip about 1 inch (2.54 cm) wide across the shorter side of the paper. This side is usually about 8.5 inches (21 cm) long.
2. Fold the strip of paper in half to create a body and a head. The paper should stand on its own once it is folded.
3. Cut a thin rectangle out of one end of the strip. This should leave two pieces of paper sticking up. Those will be on the snail’s head!
4. Draw a smile under the eyestalks. On white paper, draw two eyes. Cut them out and tape or glue them to the tops of the eyestalks. Now your snail has a face!
5. To make the shell, pick out a piece of colored paper. Cut a strip about 1 inch (2.54 cm) wide. It can be any length. The longer the strip is, the bigger the heart shell will be.
6. Make a cut into the paper about 1 inch (2.54 cm) from one end. The cut should not go all the way through the strip. Next, make a cut 1 inch (2.54 cm) from the other end of the strip — but this time, have the cut be on the opposite side. (See Video.) These small cuts will act as notches. They will fit together to keep your heart in place.
7. When you slide the cuts into each other, you will end up with a shape like a fish. Let’s make that fish into a heart! Push the rounded side of the shape in. It will create a pointed fold. Press it so it stays folded. The shape should now look like a heart.
8. Tape or glue the bottom of the heart to the body of the snail.
9. Spread the love! Use your bug as a decoration or give it to a special person in your life.
Updated February 8, 2024, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
By Amanda Salazar
