Origami Heart Instructions

Origami hearts are not only wonderful for Valentine's day, but also make great decorations on mother's day cards, birthday cards, etc. They even form great gift tags and can even be creatively used to prepare one's own heart mobile, origami heart bookmarks, etc. Its use is versatile and the more creative you are, the more the number of ways you can use it. In this article we will dwell on some easy origami heart instructions.

Step 1: Take a rectangular piece of construction paper and fold it vertically and horizontally in half, such that you have one vertical line and one horizontal line intersecting each other at the center of the paper. Make sure the folds you make are sharp and firm. Don't press too hard, as it increases the risk of tear. Also, keep it sharp but not too sharp.

Step 2: Place the broader side of the paper horizontally. Now take the top right end of the paper and fold it downwards and inwards, towards the central line of the paper. You will have a triangle formed. Do the same with the other side as well. You will now have two triangles formed. A rectangular strip of paper will also be present at the base of the triangles which are not a part of the newly formed triangles.

Step 3: Now take the bottom right corner and fold it upwards and inwards towards the central line. You will have to overlap the other triangle. Do the same with the other side as well. You will now have a square shaped formation, with the newly formed folds having flat tops, that stop an inch before the tip of the bottom paper.

Step 4: Now turn this square over, such that you now have a plain surfaced kite shaped piece of paper before you. If you observe carefully, you will find that a kind of flap has been formed. The kite piece and bottom piece are separate. Holding the apex of the kite, gently fold the apex to touch the bottom point of the kite. Thus, if a kite has four sides; 1, 2, 3, 4, with point one being the apex point. You need to make point 1 touch point 3.

Step 5: You will now have a triangle with its apex below, and base in the center of the paper and a strip of paper sticking out on top. This strip has two tiny triangles at both ends and a division in between. This division needs to be focused upon now. Take the left tip of one division and fold it inwards to touch the base of the bottom triangle. Do the same with the other side as well. You will get a 'V' shaped structure.

Step 6: Now focus on the tips of this 'V' structure. Just fold the tips of the 'V' slightly (½ cm). This will give the heart shape a more rounded appearance. Now focus on the sides of the heart. The sides are also pointed, thus, fold that portion (1 cm fold) also inwards to complete the heart shape. Turn the paper over. Your origami heart is ready!

It's quite difficult to explain as well as teach how to make origami hearts without pictures of each step. Theoretical origami heart instructions simply make things so complicated. Nevertheless, try a shot at it. You do not need to stop after making origami hearts. Go ahead and decorate it the way you like. You could either apply some glitter, shiny stones, lace or any other item of your choice onto the heart to enhance its appearance. You can even use acrylic paints to paint whatever you want on them. The more creative you are the more attractive your heart would be.