Seasons > Valentine’s Day > Ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Family > Cube Valentine Cards to Make That Can be Decorations, too!
How to Make Cube Cards
1. Fold a sheet of paper in thirds lengthwise.
2. Fold this folded sheet of paper in half.
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3.Open it one fold, and fold the two ends to the middle fold.
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4.Open all the folds so that it is a flat sheet again.
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5.Cut all the side folds up to the middle third.
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6.If you want to send this as a card, write your message on the inside of the cube now.
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7.Fold it into a cube. You can cut off some of the side flaps If you want to, but be careful, or you might have to start over!
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8.Glue or use double stick tape to fasten the cube. (skip this step if you want to send this as a card.) If you want to store these cubes flat, put regular tape on the places you will put double stick tape, so you can pull it apart when you are ready to store it for next year.
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9.Decorate the cubes. Cut out different sizes and colors of hearts. If you want patterned paper, use origami, wrapping paper, or scrapbooking paper, or use stamps to create your own patterned paper. Save time by cutting several sheets of paper at a time--cut 4 hearts in the same time it would take to cut 1! Fold one sheet into quarters or thirds if you don’t want to use more than one sheet of paper to cut out the hearts.
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10. To make letters, print out the message in a large font on your computer. Use them as patterns to cut out the letters you need. If you are clever, you can print the letters on the sheet to make into a cube--that should save quite a bit of time!
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11. Make as many cubes as you want--the ones pictured here spell the word “love” on one side, and “hugs” “kiss” and “XOXO,” (which stands for hugs and kisses) on the other sides. If you want to go crazy, make enough cubes to spell “Happy Valentine’s Day !”
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12. If you plan to mail these cubes, fold them flat first: Starting with the cube opened all the way out--as a flat sheet of paper. Repeat steps 1-3--fold the side flaps onto the middle third, then fold the two ends to the middle, then fold it in half one more time (Fold on the folded lines--don’t make any new folds!!) Be sure to write instructions for how to form a cube, or your recipient won’t have any idea what you have sent!
Wooden cubes purchased at Target
More Ways to use the cubes: Instead of individual letters, write words of appreciation that can make a sentence when all the cubes are lined up. Use a thesaurus to find interesting words or phrases that have the same meaning as “love” and “a lot.” Then have fun leaving messages for each other by turning the blocks so different faces show. The blocks can even be used to inspire kids to be more creative in the Valentine cards they write--a skill they will only learn if you help them grow year by year--and Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse!
Put a different letter on each side of the cubes so they can be rearranged into 4 different Valentine messages.
You can make each cube from a single sheet of paper which can be unfolded to store flat. However, if you have kids who are going to handle them, you may want to decorate pre-made cardboard boxes or paint wooden cubes to keep your handiwork from being smashed. Another option is to make these cubes out of poster board or empty cereal boxes--just use the folded paper described below as a pattern, or download the pattern.
1
2
3b
5
7a
9
7b
3a
Thank you for being such an amazing friend!
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Keep arranging until you like the way they look. They are a bit irresistible, so expect everyone else to rearrange them, too.
I
have deep affection for
You
indubitably
It’s way more fun to write “I indubitably have deep affection for you,” than to say, “I love you a lot.” There is not much you can do for substituting words for “I“ and “you,” but here are a few words and phrases to inspire your kids to become wordsmiths:
Substitutes for “Love”:
like
adore
delight in
am fond of
enjoy
care for
have deep affection for
think the world of
am mad about
am crazy about
am nuts about
am wild about
take great pleasure in
have a soft spot for
get a kick out of
am hooked on
have a thing for
Substitutes for “a lot”:
tons
ever so much
a good deal
a great deal
heaps
piles
mucho
masses
copiously
tremendously
enormously
immensely
massively
stupendously
vastly
considerably
exceedingly
monumentally
enthusiastically
Seasons > Valentine’s Day > Ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Family > Cube Valentine Cards to Make That Can be Decorations
