In this post, I’ll be sharing how to make a paper puzzle purse Valentine inspired by antique love letters from the Victorian era.
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If you’re looking for a creative and thoughtful way to express your feelings on Valentine’s Day, today’s DIY is ideal! I’ll be sharing how to make an adorable paper puzzle purse Valentine. This is a fun and unique way to surprise your loved one with a personalized message. The puzzle purse is made out of paper and can be decorated in any way you choose. You can add your favorite photos, love quotes, or even write a heartfelt message inside.
What is a Puzzle Purse?
Puzzle Purses have a long and interesting history, with previous versions dating back to Japan’s Heian era (782-1185 CE) when the original origami paper folding techniques were used to create flat paper boxes or envelopes to store small items like buttons or stamps.
During the early 1700s, the Puzzle Purse became a popular means of exchanging romantic messages in England and Colonial America. They often depicted flowers, birds, vines, and hearts, along with a series of intricate folds that would slowly reveal a message written on each folded section, with the final love letter written on the inside. The puzzle aspect comes into play as the note itself is quite challenging to re-fold and close correctly.
However, Puzzle Purses aren’t exclusive to Valentine’s Day. So, if you’re catching this post at another time, consider making one for a birthday, anniversary, the holidays, or any time you want to send a sweet note or message to someone you love.
How to make a DIY puzzle purse Valentine
Materials
You technically only need a small handful of materials to create the base puzzle purse for this project. However, you can make it as elaborate and decorative as you’d like!
You’ll need:
- plain white loose leaf printer paper – used to make a few “rough drafts” until you get the hang of the folding technique
- your paper of choice – for a more sturdy and textured feel, I recommend cold press watercolor paper 90lb/190 weight. But you can also use thin cardstock or scrapbook paper. The key is that you’ll need a perfectly square piece of paper for this project. I chose to use a 9×12 inch paper pad, then cut my sheets down to 9×9 inch squares.
- ruler
- scissors
- pencil
- bone folder (optional but creates super crisp fold lines)
Additional optional materials for decorating:
- watercolor paint and brushes
- fine liner pen
- letter stamp set
- markers
- colored pencils
- gold paint or a metallic paint pen
- washi tape
- decorative stickers and/or stamps
- ribbon or twine
Note: The overall size of your puzzle purse will vary depending on the size of the paper you use. I personally think watercolor paper looks best for this project and adds some nice texture. If you do opt for watercolor paper, I recommend a 90lb/190g weight. This is the perfect weight that feels nice and sturdy for decorating and painting while remaining thin enough to fold comfortably. You want to avoid working with overly thick or heavy paper so that the final puzzle purse won’t be too difficult to open and close.
How To
This project requires quite a bit of folding, and it’s important to follow the steps to properly achieve the final opening and closing mechanism of the puzzle purse. Patience is key, but once you get started, it’s also much easier than it looks!
I highly suggest creating a practice version first with a sheet of plain white printer paper before moving on to your final (perhaps fancier) paper. You can also use the practice version to write the guide letters, numbers, and dots (as per my figure instructions below) to get an even better feel for the folding techniques and steps.
The major key to this project is that you must start with a perfectly square piece of paper.
Step 1: Measure and cut your paper to create a perfect square. (In my case, I started with a 9×12 sheet of paper, so I cut it down to a 9×9 square.)
Step 2: Fold corner to corner in both ways to create 2 diagonal fold lines. (fold A to D, fold B to C)
Step 3: Measure and divide each side into 3 equal sections, making small pencil marks on all 4 sides as guides for your fold lines. (fold along all dash lines)
Step 4: Flip the paper over to the backside.
Step 5: Fold outside corners to inside dots diagonally. (fold D to 1, fold B to 3, fold A to 4, fold C to 2)
Step 6: Flip the paper over again to the front side.
Step 7: Pinch along the folded areas marked in red, bringing them in towards the center. This part is a bit tricky but just work with the folds slowly until they start pulling inwards. They should meet in the center, creating a pinwheel shape.
Step 8: Once you achieve the pinwheel shape, fold the triangle flaps in towards the center square. Start with the bottom triangle and work your way around in a counterclockwise direction, folding each triangle in one at a time. The last triangle should slide into the first one to close it off into a final square. You might need to slightly bend the last triangle so that it tucks into the slot of the first one. Once it’s tucked in, you’re all done with the folding part.
The Final Step: Decorate!
I was drawn to using watercolor paint and a fine liner pen to create flowers, bows, decorative borders, and other cutesy illustrations to fit the Valentine’s Day aesthetic. I added a few quotes throughout and a romantic little message inside.
This is where you can get creative and personalize the details for your recipient. If painting or drawing isn’t your thing, you can also use stickers, washi tape, and magazine cutouts to create a more collage-style design or keep it minimal with a few simple hand drawn doodles and letter stamps.
I highly recommend giving the watercolor paint a shot! It’s a very forgiving medium and adds a romantic feel.
Whatever creative direction you decide to go with, you’ll want to decorate the puzzle purse in sections. Start with the front/top (closed square), then open the triangle flaps, and decorate that layer. Then, continue unfolding to reveal new areas of blank paper. The final part is the small square that shows in the center when it is completely unfolded. This is typically where you’d write your love letter, note, poem, song lyrics, or anything you’d like to say to your special someone!
Since the puzzle purse closes and tucks itself into a nice little square, you can also add a few loose items inside before closing it up. Consider small and thoughtful elements like stickers, stamps, buttons, pressed flowers, small chocolates, etc. You could also include some ephemera items like movie tickets, receipts, napkins, photos, or anything else that may be extra meaningful to your loved one.
If you prefer to follow along with a video, check out this tutorial by Theodora Gould:
A DIY Puzzle Purse Valentine project is a sweet and thoughtful gesture that your loved one is sure to cherish. It’s an interactive and heartwarming experience that will create a lasting memory. The intricate folding technique and personalized decoration paired with a heartfelt message inside will make this romantic token of love something to treasure forever.
Looking for more inspo!? Check out my Pinterest for tons of DIY projects and lifestyle inspo… updated daily!
This post was all about a DIY puzzle purse Valentine’s gift/card. If you like this content, check out these posts below!
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– DIY Wavy Clay Trinket Dish
Xx- Laura
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