Take a step back in time for a Valentine's tradition

Greeting cards are popular ways to express love and affection on Valentine's Day. However, those looking to say "I love you" and much more in a creative way may want to harken back to a tradition that is several centuries old.

Purse puzzles were once an innovative way to send notes and illustrations and express other sentiments. Purse puzzles became popular around 1720 and remained so until roughly 1840. The puzzles consisted of a sheet of paper folded into smaller parts. When unfolded, the purse puzzle would reveal several messages and hand-drawn art.

In the 19th century, purse puzzles were a clever way for lovers to send love notes on Valentine's Day or other times of the year. Purse puzzles were a form of paper art, similar to origami.

Valentine's celebrants can rekindle the magic of purse puzzles to add creative flair to this year's celebrations. They can be made easily with tutorials found on websites such as Snapguide.com (https://snapguide.com/guides/make-puzzle-purses/). The finished puzzle will take a square shape and open up like a pinwheel until the full sheet of paper is revealed.