Heart
A flat heart that is coloured on both sides when finished. Any square works; a 15 cm square makes a heart about 7 cm across.
Valley foldUnfoldTurn over
Scroll to fold ↓A flat heart that is coloured on both sides when finished. Any square works; a 15 cm square makes a heart about 7 cm across.
White side up, set the square as a diamond. Fold it in half corner to corner both ways, unfolding each time.
Fold the top corner down to the centre, where the creases cross.
Fold the bottom corner up so it touches the middle of the top edge.
Fold each half of the bottom edge up so it lies along the centre line. The corners rise above the top edge and form the two lobes of the heart.
Turn the model over.
Fold the tip of each lobe down a little, then fold the two side corners in. Small folds give a rounder heart.
Turn the heart back over.
Press it flat under a book for a crisper shape. Slip a note into the pocket on the back, or fold a row of them from smaller squares for a garland.
Folded hearts are among the most popular modern origami models, used for valentines, wedding favours and notes tucked into envelopes. Many versions exist; this one uses a small number of straightforward folds and gives a heart that is coloured on both sides.
Every fold is a simple valley fold, so the heart is a good first model for children and beginners. It also teaches accuracy: the two lobes only come out even if the earlier folds meet the centre lines exactly.
The finished heart has a small pocket on the back that can hold a short message or a pressed flower.
A little under half the width of the starting square. A 15 cm square gives a heart about 7 cm across.
This version needs a square, so a banknote would have to be trimmed or folded to a square first. Dedicated banknote hearts use the rectangle directly.
Fold hearts from 7.5 cm squares and thread them on cotton through the pocket at the back, or glue them along a ribbon.
Traditional. Instructions and diagrams written for this site.