Artsy partner? Show your love with a Victorian puzzle purse for Valentine’s Day

What is the history of the Victorian puzzle purse?

Puzzle purses were at the height of their popularity between the 1700s-1900s in Great Britain and colonial America. In England, this would have included the Georgian, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian eras, making ‘Victorian’ puzzle purse a bit of a misnomer.

 

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Not only did these gifts include romantic messages, but the drawings on each fold would also hold profound meanings. Quiet symbolism was common, with special attention paid to the selection and depictions of certain flowers, plants and animals — often, a lover would use them to privately express emotions that could not be said out loud.

“In fact, there is a modern formal term for this type of paper folding — letterlocking — defined as ‘the act of folding and securing an epistolary (letter-related) writing substrate to function as its own envelope or sending device’,” explains the Orchard House of Louisa May Alcott, who wrote ‘Little Women’.

Made in 1826, this Victorian puzzle purse hid a love letter from an anonymous gentleman. (Image: metmuseum.org)

The idea of flat paper boxes, however, can be traced all the way back to the tatogami tradition of Heian Japan (782-1185 CE), which predates origami. ‘Tato’ were small folded purses or envelopes used by Japanese housewives to store items like needles, ends of thread, buttons and postage stamps.

Now that you have some context, there are two ways to approach the V̶i̶c̶t̶o̶r̶i̶a̶n̶ Valentine’s puzzle purse: gift one as a sweet surprise, or make two with your partner on a stay-at-home date night. Either way, a little patience is key to execution…especially if you’re giving nothing else.

Valentine’s puzzle purse tutorial: Step-by-step instructions

The Valentine’s puzzle purse is an envelope-like paper container which unfolds into a pinwheel or four-armed star. In the central space or triangular edges inside, you can write messages of love, friendship, or a secret code. To make this, you will need:

> Square sheets of paper
> Ruler and pencil
> Something to press and deepen folds
> Markers or watercolours for decoration
> Personal notes or pictures to put inside
> Glue for optional bling: lace, dried flowers, old tickets, washi tape, stamps, sequins, etc.

Below are three different tutorials for making a Valentine’s puzzle purse. The steps may vary depending on your desired look, so we have included three for reference. The first, and simplest, is a video by the United Kingdom’s Royal Mail:

For a more detailed tutorial you can follow the instructions provided by Somerset artist Theodora Gould. Her video has helped those who struggle with crisply nailing paper folds:

For a printable photo guide, this tutorial by artist Alice Simpson for ‘Bound & Lettered’ magazine is a good option:

With gift-giving tied to social media these days, little can match the sincerity of a handmade present. And women aren’t the only ones who want ‘mushy’ love tokens. “If my girlfriend gifted this, I’d feel really loved,” shared Sanjit Jain, a techie from Bengaluru. “Probably go out looking for a ring too.”

Anshika Nagar, a London-based professional looking for her Darcy, agrees. “It’s all about the gesture, no? Gifts like these go to show that Valentines needn’t be expensive. The time and effort matters more.”

For more puzzles and literary ideas, we invite you to try Express Puzzles & Games.