Family Winter Origami Workshop - Fold a Heart-Shaped Gift Box!

Celebrate the season of love and creativity with our Family Valentine’s Day Origami Workshop, where we’ll be folding a charming heart-shaped box—perfect for holding small treats, notes, or gifts for someone special.

• Date: Feburary 5th, 2026
• Time: 5-7PM
• Location: Japan Culture Center
• Skill Level: Great for beginners and up

Using beautifully themed patterned papers, you’ll learn how to create a foldable, functional

heart box, complete with a lid. It’s a fun and thoughtful way to add a handmade touch to

February celebrations. We’ll also fold some scrumptious chocolate truffles to place inside the box!

• All paper will be provided during the workshop.
• Youth must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

❤️ Fun Fact:

The tradition of giving chocolates on Valentine’s Day became popular in the late 1800s when Richard Cadbury created the first heart-shaped chocolate box, transforming the holiday into a sweet gift-giving ritual. Today, hundreds of millions of heart-shaped boxes are exchanged everyyear!

We hope to fold with you soon!

Meet the Instructor

Ishita Gupta is an origami artist who celebrates simplicity and the everyday beauty of paper. Focusing on practical and shareable folds—like bags, boxes, and seasonal motifs she brings origami into daily life through thoughtful design and handmade or patterned papers. A lifelong paper enthusiast, Ishita has folded and volunteered at over a dozen events in the past year, with installations at Anderson Japanese Gardens, DePaul University, and the Japanese Culture Center’s Ikebana Walk. She enjoys teaching both children and adults, inspiring others to find creativity and calm in the art of folding.