Paper and Scissors 3D for Valentine's day

Worried that your valentines will fall flat? Make them stand out by incorporating small treats like lollipops or glow sticks. Material needed: 2D camera, photo printer, paper, scissors.

Girls: Take a picture of your child with her hand in a fist and arm outstretched. After the picture is printed, cut small slits through the card at the top and bottom of the hand and slip the lollipop stick through the slits, so it appears as if she is holding the treat.

Boys: the method is the same, but use a thin glow stick in order to make a perfectly credible light sabre, a perfect gift at a time when Star Wars is re-released in stereoscopic 3D.

Shooting: The chance to play Jedi knight should be enough to persuade  a child to pose for a few pictures, but if your child is being stubborn or camera shy, you still can create cute 3-D valentines by having their favorite toys stand in as models. Try one of his Lego minifigures, or a Hello, Kitty figurine for a girly version.

True 3D: Owners of a FUJI W3 3D camera may want to print an anaglyph version of the card. The same light saber addition process as above can be used, but don't forget 1) to avoid blue and red glow sticks -to avoid retinal rivalry- and 2) to insert a few pairs of anaglyph cardboard glasses inside the card.

Postproduction: If desired, use photo editing software to remove the background from the image and replace it with something else. For the StarWars card, you may download an "outer space" image from the NASA website and use that for the background. You also can add a message or your child's name. For the lollipop version, consider "I'm sweet on you, Valentine." For the Star Wars version, try "May the force be with you, Valentine."

Materials

• a willing child or small toy
• colored or white card stock (if using toys)
• a camera (optionally a 3D one)
• photo editing software
• printer
• sharp scissors or craft knife
• tape
• lollipops or glow sticks

Source: 'Make your Valentines stand out with 3-D elements' in the North County Times.