4 Ways to Make a Paper Heart

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Are you looking for simple projects to make paper hearts? There are many different ways to make them and they can be used for decorations, gifts or ornaments. They are simple to make and are also fun for children. By following a few steps you will be able to create a beautiful heart out of paper!

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Create a Heart Shaped Decoration

Step 1. Make this heart-shaped paper ornament for a quick and easy hanging decoration

These ornaments are beautiful and only take a few minutes to work, making them particularly ideal for garlands. They consist of strips of paper folded into the shape of a heart.

Step 2. Cut out nine strips of paper

Use fairly sturdy paper, such as colored cardstock or patterned paper that you use for decoupage (scrapbook). You will need nine strips of different lengths, but still all 5 cm wide.

• Three strips should be 25 cm long.
• Two strips should be 32cm long.
• Two strips should be 40cm long.
• Two strips should be 50cm long.

Step 3. Place the strips on top of each other

The strips must be stacked in a specific order so that the result is in the shape of a heart.

• Place four strips on top of each other starting from the shortest to the longest, using one of each size. At the bottom there should be the larger one and the smaller one at the top.

  

• Place another 10 '' strip directly on top of the larger one (opposite side to the others). This last strip will become the center of the heart.

  

• Place the remaining strips on top of the ones already arranged, but in reverse order, from largest to smallest, using all of them.

  

Step 4. Join the strips with a staple

Make sure the bases (short side) of all strips are aligned with each other. Use a staple to staple them all together.

Step 5. Fold the strips one by one to the base of the paper stack

Hold everything together at the bottom, near the lowest bow and fold the pieces of paper towards your fingers. Starting with the smallest strip on both ends, fold them all up to the bow.

• Fold each of the four strips on the right side starting with the smallest and ending with the longest. Bring them down to the right side of the bow at the base of the pile.
• Fold down the four matching strips on the opposite side and to the left.

• Leave the center strip straight and hold the stack together by applying pressure with your thumb and forefinger at the base of the heart.

  

• Be careful not to create wrinkles or creases in the paper as you shape it.

Step 6. Sew the base of the heart together

This will hold all the strips in place. Use the necessary staples to hold the patterned paper strips firmly together.

• Additionally, you may need to add more staples along the stem to help create and maintain the heart shape. These staples may be visible, so it's up to you to choose whether to add them to your heart or not.

  

Step 7. Make a hole in the middle strip

Use a paper hole to make a small hole in the top of the central strip you left free.

• Center the hole about 2.5 cm from the top edge of the strip.

  

Step 8. Thread some twine through the hole

Thread a cord, woolen thread or string into the hole you made and knot it on itself to form a buttonhole with which to hang your heart ornament.

Step 9. Hang your ornament

Now that your heart is complete, you can hang it wherever you want. If you want, you could also create additional ornaments and combine them into a garland.

Method 2 of 4: Making a Paper Heart Chain

Step 1. The chain of paper hearts creates a line of identical hearts all connected together

This chain is easy enough to make and is a good project for kids.

Step 2. You can use any size sheet of paper, although it is better to use standard letter size or A4 sheet, from which two chains of hearts can be made

Choose a color of your liking.

• Fold the paper in half lengthwise and then unfold it again. Cut along the fold to divide it into two equal parts.

  

• Make sure children use only blunt-tipped, safety-proof scissors.
• You will only use one of the two halves to make the chain of hearts, but you can keep the other half to make a second one if you want.

Step 3. Fold the paper like an accordion

Starting on the short side of the strip, fold it back and forth, making sure the folds are all the same size (about 3cm).

• You can vary the width of the folds to your liking. Using a standard sheet of A4 paper, with the suggested width of 3cm, you will create a chain of four hearts. With wider folds you will get fewer hearts.

• Fold the paper back on itself once.

  

• For the next fold, keep the two layers already folded under the new fold you are going to form.

  

• Repeat this process until you have folded the entire strip.

  

Step 4. Draw half of a heart on the outside of the "accordion"

The center of the heart should face the folded side of the top segment. When drawing the outer edge of the heart, you will need to move slightly outside the boundary of the paper.

In other words, the round border of the heart will not be completely outlined. In fact, if you draw the shape of the complete (half) heart, the chain will break when cut. Do not cut this edge completely

Step 5. Cut out the template

Use sharp scissors to cut the shape of the half heart. Keep the card tightly folded as you do this.

• Make sure the ends are folded on either side of the half heart you are cutting. If you pop out or try to round the outer edge of the heart, you will end up breaking the chain.
• You can also cut the small section from the inside of the heart as if it were a paper snowflake. Make sure these cutouts don't alter the outer shape of the heart.
• Care must be taken when using scissors. Don't hurt yourself and give children only scissors that are safe to use.

Step 6. Unfold the chain

Paying close attention, unfold the paper segments and you will get a chain of hearts all joined together.

Step 7. Trim the excess paper

There is usually some extra card after the last heart.

Step 8. Decorate the chain as you like

You can decorate the chain of hearts using tempera, glitter, stickers, stamps and any other material you want.

• If you made cutouts in your heart, you can glue the back of tissue paper or cellophane to create a stained glass effect.

• To create a longer chain, you can use a longer strip of paper from the start or join several short chains together using masking tape.

  

Method 3 of 4: Create a Stuffed Paper Heart

Step 1. Use this method to create a stuffed heart

It will be bigger and heavier than other paper hearts and therefore will be great for larger decorations or gifts. The edges are sewn together and the heart can be decorated to your liking.

Step 2. Fold two pieces of paper in half width or "hamburger style", bringing the two ends to line up

For the heart, choose a color that suits your preferences.

• Make sure the paper is folded well so that it stays double folded on its own.

  

Step 3. Draw half of a heart on one side of the paper

If you feel confident, you can draw it freehand. Otherwise, get a template you can trace.

You can use a cookie stencil or a heart-shaped paperweight as a template, or you can print a heart and cut it out for use as a template

Step 4. Cut along the outline you drew and unfold the paper to get a symmetrical heart

Step 5. Use the figure you just cut out to create another heart in another sheet

Fold the heart in half once again and use this shape to outline the same heart half on other paper. Cut the second heart as well. You should now have two identical looking figures.

Step 6. Decorate the heart

If you are going to decorate it, you should do this before sewing and stuffing it. You can decorate the heart with stamps, stickers, markers, colored pencils, crayons, paint, glitter, sequins or whatever comes to mind.

Step 7. Use a thick sewing needle to make small holes at even intervals around the perimeter of the heart

If children are following this project, then for safety they should use a slightly blunt needle.

• You can also use a paper hole or the sharp point of a compass instead of a sewing needle or crochet hook.

• Make sure the two layers of paper are lined up and punctured symmetrically.

  

• Pierce close to the edge, but not close enough to tear it off. A measurement of 1.25cm should be fine.

  

Step 8. Sew the holes

Thread a thread through the first hole and start sewing the two paper hearts together, weaving the thread out and into the holes you made. Sew only ¾ of the holes.

• Use thick enough thread or two or three threads together.
• Start sewing from the back of the heart and work towards the lower end.
• Do not pull the thread when you sew the first hole. Leave about 7-8 cm of thread outside the heart before starting to sew it.

• You can also sew with the blanket stitch. It will create a nice border for your heart, as shown in the photo. The blanket stitch consists of tying the thread to the first hole and then pushing the needle through both layers of the heart. Before tightening the thread, pass it through the buttonhole created around the edge. Now tighten the yarn and you will have the covered stitch.

  

Step 9. Stuff the heart

Use plastic bags, batting, or crumpled paper napkins to stuff the heart, across the part you haven't sewn yet. Be careful to pad it gently so as not to tear the sewn part.

• Use a pair of scissors or a pen to help you push the stuffing into the heart.

  

Step 10. Sew the rest of the heart as well

Sew the remaining holes together. Tie the two ends of the thread into the back of the heart. You should now have a nice decorated stuffed heart to admire!

Method 4 of 4: Weave a Heart-made Paper Basket

Step 1. Use the woven paper heart as an ornament or small gift basket

These are paper hearts that open to become baskets. You can hang them on the Christmas tree and add some small gifts inside.

Step 2. Take two pieces of paper

They should be in two different colors to weave a nice pattern for your heart. Traditional colors are white and red, although you can use whatever combination you prefer. Choose medium weight paper.

• If the paper was too thick, you would have a hard time completing the weaving.
• If it were too thin, it would not be able to have the consistency of a basket.

Step 3. Cut the paper into your preferred size

If you are using standard letter size or A4 paper, you can fold them in half hamburger style or crosswise. Then cut a straight line from the center of the folded edge to the unfolded side on both sheets. Use a rectangle of each color.

• The paper size can vary according to your preferences, because it will affect the size of your finished heart.
• Keep the two pieces folded in half.

Step 4. Place one folded piece on top of the other at a 90 degree angle

The top will be vertical, while the bottom horizontal. Their left edges should meet evenly so that the side piece protrudes to the right. Draw a thin pencil line on the side piece along the edge of the vertical piece.

Step 5. Place the rectangles directly on top of each other so that the folds overlap

Make sure the two pieces are facing the same way. Arrange the piece with the pencil line on top so you can see it.

Step 6. Draw thin pencil lines from the bottom of the folded piece of paper to the dotted line

Draw more straight lines on the paper until you meet the original line. This will partially divide the sheet into strips along its length. Cut both folded pieces of paper along these lines.

Make sure the strips are at least 1.25cm wide, otherwise you could break them easily. The size and number of the strips doesn't matter - it's just a matter of personal preference. However, keep in mind that the size and number of strips will change the difficulty of the weaving. For kids, try making just three strips to begin with

Step 7. Cut a curved end around the top of the folded sheets

While they are still on top of each other, cut the strip-free end into a curve. These cuts will create the two curved upper parts of the heart. Those edges should now look like a half oval.

Step 8. Turn a piece of paper to the side at a 90 degree angle once again

Turn it so that it is horizontal, while the other piece remains vertical. The rounded edge on the vertical piece should be facing up, while the rounded edge on the horizontal piece should be on the right.

The two wavy edges should form a 90 degree angle at the bottom left

Step 9. Weave the strips together

The weave of this heart is different from the normal one, because the stripes overlap "inside" and "around" rather than "below" and "above".

• Bring the top strip to the horizontal paper and weave it with the first vertical strip, through the two layers of the latter.
• Now take that same top strip and run it around the second strip on the vertical piece. "Around" here means that the two layers will fall above and below the second vertical stripe. Alternatively, you can think of the second vertical stripe going between the two layers of the horizontal top strip.
• Continue to pass the top strip of the horizontal sheet of paper through and around the strips on the vertical folded paper. This top strip should now be intertwined with all the others.
• Take the first strip (right) from the vertical piece of paper and continue weaving it between and around the remaining horizontal bands. Since the first vertical stripe is already around the first horizontal, you will need to intertwine it with the second horizontal and continue to the end.
• Continue weaving all the strips between and around the others until all the rows and columns are woven.

Step 10. Open the recycle bin

Now that all the rows of strips are intertwined with each other, you should have completed a woven heart. Open the basket by inserting a finger between the two layers of paper. You can fill this basket with surprises or other small items you choose.

Step 11. Add a handle or shoulder strap

Cut a long piece of paper to the length you want the handle to be. Use tape or staples to attach the handle to either side of the inside of the heart.

• Alternatively, you can drill a hole in the top center of the heart and thread a ribbon or string through it. Tie a knot in the two ends of the ribbon and you'll get a nice handle or string from which to hang the heart.
• If you drill holes, you can also add small eyelets to make the heart look more fancy, although this isn't necessary.

Advice

• There are many other methods of making paper hearts. You can try making a symmetrical one, folding a banknote into a heart shape, making a three-dimensional Valentine's Day card, or creating a mosaic heart.
• Origami can also be used to fold a variety of paper hearts. Try to make a simple origami heart, one a little more complex, with visible folds in the front, a heart with a pocket in front, one with wings, and many other types.