Sweet and Simple Valentine's Day Wreath

As Valentine's Day is getting closer, the children I work with are getting more and more excited. They are always clamoring for more crafts, and so we try to get creative in our (fairly low-budget) after-school program. These wreathes are simple to make and require very few supplies, all of which you probably already have on hand - cardstock (or any stiff paper), scissors, and a stapler. This makes it a great last minute craft, and its definitely one that the kids love.


First, cut several 1" x 4" strips of paper (I used 16 of these strips to make my wreath, but you could use however many you'd like). These strips don't have to be perfect, so even young children can cut them independently.  Next, staple two of these strips of cardstock together at one end.

Pull the opposite ends of the strips together beneath the stapled end, and sandwich them together between two more strips of paper as seen below.

Continue stapling strips together this way until you have as many hearts as you'd like.

Then form into a circle and add one more staple to attach the last heart to the first one.

I had about 20 children ages  6 - 11 doing this craft with me, and only three staplers on hand. To help them be patient while they waited for their turn with the stapler, I gave them markers so that they could  decorate both sides of their strips of paper. Older kids helped the younger ones with the stapling, and in the end it was a great collaborative project!