Paper-cutting is my favorite art medium. I have been doing paper-cuts since I was a kid when I discovered I could make life-size dioramas of The Lord of the Flies characters in 9th grade. Needless to say, I loved making this Valentine for my husband a few years ago, and I'm so happy that he kept it, because I was able to make a pattern!
To make your own Le Cœur Valentine, you will need:
• 1 sheet of cardstock (this will be the base for your heart)
• 5 sheets of decorative or solid colored paper
• an x-acto knife or crafting scissors
• a pencil
• an adhesive. I used double sided tape, but a glue stick would work perfectly.
• the free Assemble downloadable pattern, available here.
Begin cutting out your pieces according to the diagram above. Use the piece of cardstock for #1, the largest piece. Trace each pattern piece from the printout onto the papers of your choice, and cut them out with your x-acto knife or scissors.
As you cut, begin to layer your pieces on top of each other. They don't have to be perfect, it's actually more interesting looking when each layer peeks out underneath the others. Use your adhesive to glue the layers together, according to their numbers. ex: glue 2 to 1, 3 to 2 and so on...
When you're done, turn over your heart, write a message of love, and give to your sweetheart. Happy Valentine's Day!