Geometric Heart – Valentine STEM

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner I wanted to show you a fun project we made. We actually did this geometric heart last year and I never had the chance to post about it, so you get it this year instead!  This is a Valentine STEM / STEAM project that brings together Math, Engineering and Art!

How To Make The Geometric Heart

You will need just two supplies: Pipe Cleaners & Straws.  We used colored paper straws to make it more festive for Valentine’s Day, but colored smoothie straws would be another fun choice!

You will need 24 Straws. 12 of them should be cut in half. Then you’ll need a whole bunch of pipe cleaners. I am sorry, I didn’t count!

For the wire part of this you will keep twisting pipe cleaners together. For the first step, I attached 2 together and then threaded on three half straws (shown in image #2). Twist the top together to make a triangle shape.

Add two more straws and make a second triangle shape. Thread the pipe cleaner back through the last straw added and add another straw to this one.  (As you go along, just keep attaching pipe cleaners to the end as you need more.)

Now you can form it into a pyramid as pictured in #5.  Add 2 more straws to the tip and make another triangle .  Thread the pipe cleaner back through the last straw and add another small straw piece to make a double pyramid.

Add another 2 small straws and make yet another triangle. Thread the wire back through and add one more small straw piece. IT should now be three pyramid shapes back to back as pictured in #9. 

Repeat and make a second piece identical to the first.  You will be jining the two shapes together as pictured in #11.

Now you will start using the long straw pieces to make the point of the heart. You will use 6 long ones and then a 7th one that has about an inch cut off the end. Add more pipe cleaner to the end and thread on 2 long straw pieces. Bend them to make a point.

Thread the wire back through the last straw added so it is coming out of the bottom tip. Add another long straw and join it to the center of the top of the heart.  Thread the wire through the short straw right next to it so it comes out at the center of the heart.

Now add the straw that you cut an inch off of.  And add one more long straw connecting it to the top center again.

Thread the wire back through the small center straw connecting the two sections. Add another long straw attaching it to the bottom point. Then repeat that one more time.

ALL DONE!  Complicated, yes. But so much fun once it is finished!

(Have you discovered my STEAM Kids Valentine’s Day book yet?)

See More Valentine Projects:

LED Rose
Pascal’s Triangle of Hearts
Heart Tessellations