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Origami is the enjoyable art of paper folding. A heart shape is a fairly simple yet effective shape to fold, and the result can be used as a Valentine's Day gift or decoration, a romantic token or to decorate anything you're making in paper craft.
Steps
Creating the Pyramid
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1Get a letter-size (or A4) piece of paper. You can also use a square 6” x 6” (15 cm x 15 cm) piece of origami paper. Thinner paper is preferable as thicker paper is harder to work with and doesn't always stay folded.[1]
- Avoid using small pieces of paper on your first try, as the folds will be more difficult to make and this may be frustrating. If you'd like to make a larger sized heart, use a larger piece of paper.
- If you decide to draw a design, split it in half; it will end up in the center of the heart. A decoration can be added when the heart is finished as well.
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2Turn the paper to the side that is white. Then, fold the top right corner downwards so that it meets the left side of the paper. Unfold it, and do the same thing to the opposite corner; do not unfold.
- If you are using A4 paper as opposed to origami paper (which has a white side), don't worry about turning the paper to the side that is white.
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3Fold the bottom part of the paper in half. Do this so that the white (or inside part of the paper) doesn't show anymore.
- Make sharp folds by sliding your nail over each fold. Neat, sharp folds will make your final product look better.
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4Unfold the top part of the paper. You should now have two diagonal creases on the paper.[2]
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5Make a horizontal fold. Fold the top part down horizontally, so that the fold crosses the intersection in the middle of the paper. Then, unfold it.
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6Turn the paper over again. Take the left and right sides of the paper (where the horizontal crease is) and pull them toward the center of the paper. As you pull them, the other two creases should be folding, too. Pull the two sides inwards so they touch.
- It can take several tries to create the pyramid shape, especially if you are new to origami. You should end up with what looks like a triangle sitting on top of the rectangular portion at the bottom.
Building the Diamond
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1Fold the bottom left corner of the top triangle so it meets the top point. Only fold the top layer, not both layers of paper. Make the same fold on the other side; you should now have a diamond shape.
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2Fold over the sides to meet the diamond. Grab the left side of the paper, and fold everything that's not part of the diamond you made in the previous step toward the center. Do the same for the other side.
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3Create a vertical crease. Fold the entire thing in half vertically, then unfold it and turn it over.
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4Fold up the bottom corners. Take the two bottom corners and fold them upwards, so they meet at the center. Fold them so that what was once the bottom edge lines up with the vertical line running down the center.
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5Fold down the top flap. Fold the large triangular flap at the top downward, as far as it can go before running into a horizontal line. At the top there should now be three individual flaps, two small ones and a big one. Fold the big one down.
Finishing Off
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1Tuck the corners. Tuck the two corners that you folded up from the bottom into the space inside the triangular flap.
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2Fold down the top points. Fold the two remaining top flaps downwards at an angle.
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3Tuck the corners again. Tuck the corners of those flaps into the space in the big flap.
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4Check the finished heart. You should now have an origami heart.
Community Q&A
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QuestionCan you decorate the paper before you start making the heart?
Community AnswerYes. -
QuestionCan I use note paper?Community AnswerYes. You could use any paper you are able to fold.
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QuestionDoes it have to be red? I don't have a red crayon or paper.
Community AnswerYou can use any color you like, red or pink is just the most commonly used color for hearts.
Things You'll Need
- A rectangular piece of paper (8.5" by 11"/22cm x 28cm letter size, or A4 or a 6” x 6” piece of origami paper
- Drawing Utensils (Markers, Crayons, Color Pencils) (Optional)
References
About This Article
To make an origami heart, grab a piece of A4 paper and fold the top right corner down so it meets the left side of the paper. Unfold the crease and do the same thing with the top left corner, but leave it folded. Fold the bottom part of the paper up so it meets the base of the triangle you just made. Unfold the top part of the paper so you have two diagonal creases making an X shape. Fold the top of the paper down so that the fold passes through the center of the X, then unfold it. Flip the paper over and bring the right and left sides together by folding them inward along the horizontal crease. Flatten out the edges of the triangle you just created. Fold up the outer bottom corners of the triangle to make a diamond, then fold in the outer edges of the bottom of the paper so that they meet the bottom edges of the diamond. Fold the paper in half vertically and unfold it to make a crease. Fold the bottom corners up so they meet at the center, then fold the top flap down. Tuck the folded-up bottom corners inside the edges of the top flap, then fold the top points down at an angle to make the upper lobes of the heart. Finish by tucking in the corners of the flaps you just folded over.
