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PlayOwl
A red folded paper heart with a crease down the middle and softly rounded corners.
The finished project.

Origami · folding only

Folded Heart

  • Easy (level 2 of 5)
  • 8 min
  • 8 steps
  • Ages 5–9 (a guide, not a rule)
  • No scissors
  • No glue
  • No adult help needed
Start Making Print

A folded heart is a lovely first model to learn after the dog face. Eight small folds turn a square into a heart with a neat line down the middle. Put it on a card, add it to a gift, or write a kind note on the back for a friend or someone in your family.

Before you start

You need

Decorating (optional): Write a kind message or draw a smiling face on the heart.

No square of origami paper? No origami paper? Fold the corner of a printer sheet over to the opposite edge, then cut or tear off the extra strip to make a square.

How to place the paper before the first step
Your paper: Put the square down like a diamond, with one corner pointing up and the white side facing up.
  • Valley fold: blue dashes. Fold toward you, like a valley.
  • Mountain fold: pink dash-dot. Fold away from you, like a mountain.
  • Crease: a thin gray line where you folded before.

Step by step

Each step shows what to do (left) and how it should look after (right).

  1. Step 1: fold and unfold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 1 result Result
    Step 1 of 8 Fold and unfold Fold the left corner over to the right corner, then open it again.
  2. Step 2: fold and unfold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 2 result Result
    Step 2 of 8 Fold and unfold Fold the top corner down to the bottom corner, then open it again. The two creases cross in the middle.
  3. Step 3: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 3 result Result
    Step 3 of 8 Valley fold Fold the top corner down to the middle, where the creases cross.
  4. Step 4: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 4 result Result
    Step 4 of 8 Valley fold Fold the bottom corner up to meet the top edge.
  5. Step 5: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 5 result Result
    Step 5 of 8 Valley fold Fold the right side up, so the right half of the bottom edge lies along the middle line.
  6. Step 6: valley fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 6 result Result
    Step 6 of 8 Valley fold Fold the left side up the same way. Now you can see a heart.
  7. Step 7: mountain fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 7 result Result
    Step 7 of 8 Mountain fold Fold the top point of each bump behind, just a little. (The heart is shown bigger from here on. It has not turned.)
  8. Step 8: mountain fold, shown on the paper Do this
    Step 8 result Result
    Step 8 of 8 Mountain fold Fold the two side corners behind the same way. Your heart is ready!
A red folded paper heart with a crease down the middle and softly rounded corners.

You made it!

Yours may look a little different. That is part of making things by hand.

Print the steps

If something goes wrong

The heart is lopsided.

Check step 5 and step 6: each bottom edge must lie exactly along the middle crease. Unfold and fold again if one side is bigger.

White paper shows on the front.

Start with the white side up. Then every fold shows the colored side.

The small corners spring back.

Press each tiny fold hard with your fingernail, or fold a little more paper behind.

Helpful hints

  • Use the two creases from steps 1 and 2 as guides for every fold.
  • Small folds are easier on a hard table. Press with your fingernail.

The traditional simple origami heart. Diagrams drawn for PlayOwl.

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