Love Bug Hugs: Simple Shape Collage Valentines with Scrap Paper

One of my favorite ways to make homemade cards is collaging. I love the textures and little surprises that develop as I cut and piece assortments of colorful papers together. Using all sorts of paper from gift wrap scraps, old magazines, newspapers, and whatever else you have on hand, you can make delightful and beautiful collages. Nothing says love quite like a homemade card!

The project I have outlined below is a super simple one, intentionally designed to be fun and easy for kids to do. You can make a bunch without investing too much time and energy. And perhaps best of all, these cards are a great reuse, recycle, and reimagine project. The shapes are small, so it doesn’t take much to make some fabulous designs. If you don’t have a stash of colorful paper at home, check your recycling bin at home or work, your mailbox, or ask your friends if they have old magazines or craft papers they are ready to part with.

To go along with our bug & earth-loving theme, we tucked some 75-cent wildflower seed packets into the cards. Spreading love to our friends & mother nature!

PRINTABLE PDF TEMPLATE →

Materials

Printed template for stencil shapes (print on card stock to make an easier-to-trace-around stencil)
Pencil
Scissors
Hole punch (optional)
Blank cards, or card stock cut to desired card size
Colorful paper from scrap gift wrap, magazines, newspaper, construction paper, etc
Glue stick (or liquid glue & paintbrush to apply)
Favor-sized Seed Packets or other eco-friendly treat (optional)

Step One: Prepare Your Cards

If you have blank cards ready to go, move on to the next step! If you are making your own, cut them to your desired size, which will depend on the paper you have on hand. For ours, I had a pack of 12x12 card stock, so we were able to cut out six 6x4 rectangles that we folded to a finished 3x4 card size. Perfect size for sweet little school valentines.

Step Two: Cut Out Your Shapes

Cut out the shapes on the printed template to make stencils. Don’t feel limited to just these shapes—make up your own if you have other ideas! Trace around your stencils onto your paper of choice and cut out the shapes. We also used the hole punch to make a bunch of dots for the ladybugs and cut little skinny strips for legs and antennae.

Step Three: Arrange the Shapes

Now the extra fun part! From your pile of cut-out shapes, start arranging your bugs on the cards. You can use these examples as a guide, or get extra creative and make up your own. Once you get a bug laid out the way you like, glue it down. Below the bugs, we glued on the “Love Bug Hugs!” message (included on page 2 of the printable pdf template).

BUTTERFLY
You can make the wings using two large hearts and two small hearts, or four small hearts. Add a rectangle body and skinny strips for antennae. Decorate with hole-punched dots or other bits as desired.

LADYBUG
Start with a 1.5-inch circle for the body. Cut a second 1.5-inch circle in half to make the wings. Use half of a 1-inch circle for the head. Add skinny strips for antennae and hole-punched dots for wing spots.

HONEY BEE
Start with a 1.5-inch circle for the body. Cut strips from another 1.5-inch circle for the stripes on its body. Use half of a 1-inch circle for the head. Add skinny strips for the antennae.