Origami Heart

A red origami heart with a little face, from a single square. In the corner of the square there’s a frame for a secret note: once folded, it hides inside, and you can only read it by unfolding the heart. You trace the fold lines and the drawing through the camera.

• Easy
• 1 3½ × 3½ in square
• 9 folds
• 0 glue

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 3252

On VanGami the template appears over your sheet through your phone camera — no printer needed. Trace it, cut, fold and glue. Below are all the steps in text.

What you’ll need

• Letter sheet — office paper, 80 gsm (20 lb)
• Markers
• Pencil — and eraser
• Scissors — small
• Glass — phone stand

Steps

Trace

1. Outline. Trace the solid line — the edge of the piece. You’ll cut along it.
2. Fold lines. Trace the dashed lines thinly, without pressing hard, as on the screen, and write its number next to each line — that’s the order of the folds. Underline the numbers 6 and 9: on the folded sheet they can end up upside down. Each step will tell you which way to fold.
3. Drawing and frame. Copy the face and the frame in the corner with thin lines. The note will go in the frame.

Color

4. Color and write. Color the whole heart red except the eyes and cheeks; color the eyes and mouth black and the cheeks pink. In the frame, write a short note: after folding, it will hide inside.

Cut

5. Cut out: square. Cut with scissors along the solid line. Turn the sheet, not the scissors — the cut will come out neater.

Fold

6. Drawing side down. Flip the square drawing side down and turn it so one corner points toward you.
7. Two center creases. Fold the square in half — left corner onto the right corner — and unfold. Then fold the top corner onto the bottom one and unfold again. Where the creases cross is the center.
8. Top corner to the center. Fold the top corner down exactly to the center, where the creases cross. Crease it: now you can see the lines on top.
9. Bottom corner to the top edge. Fold the bottom corner up to the top edge, keeping it right on the center crease, and crease it. Now you can see the note frame on top.
10. Right half. Fold the lower right side up along line 5: its edge lies along the center crease, and the right corner sticks out above the top.
11. Left half. Do the same with the left side along line 6. The edges meet in the middle — you’ve got a heart, just a bit angular for now.
12. Side corners. Fold the side corners in along lines 7 and 8 — ¼ in each.
13. Top corners. Fold both top corners down along line 9 — the heart gets rounder.
14. Flip it over. Flip it over — your heart is done. The note is hidden inside: to read it, you have to unfold the heart.

Done. Done — ready to show off.

Make it with your phone camera

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