How to Fold an Origami Heart Card
Francis Ow This lovely origami heart card was designed by the late Francis Ow, an origami artist best known for his heartfelt creations. It’s a simple but thoughtful model he called the Valentine’s Dutch Card, and it makes a perfect little gift for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or any occasion when you want to send a bit of love.
It’s folded from a 1×2 rectangle. Here, we’re using half of a square sheet, so you can make two cards from one square of origami paper. The model is quick to fold and works great as a personalized message card.
Bonus: this design is also the starting point for an origami heart box! So if you enjoy this one, check out our heart box tutorial linked below.
Origami Heart Card Step-by-Step Instructions
- Difficulty: Easy – Beginner level 3
- Folding time: 10 minutes
Recommended Paper
24×24 cm (9.5×9.5 in) Kami cut in half. This will make a 12×12 cm (4.8×4.8 in) card.
Step 1
Start with a 2×1 rectangle (half of a square) with the colored side facing up. Fold and unfold the paper in half both vertically and horizontally. Then, turn the paper over.
Step 2
Fold the bottom edge up to the centerline.
Step 3
Fold and unfold the bottom edge to the nearest horizontal line (A). Then, unfold everything (B).
💖 Folding tip: When doing step A, hold the layers together firmly so they don’t move.
Step 4
Fold the bottom edge up along the crease you just made.
Step 5
Turn the paper over.
Step 6
Pleat fold as shown:
- Valley fold along the horizontal centerline.
- Mountain fold the nearest horizontal line.
Step 7
Fold and unfold the bottom corners inward to meet the vertical centerline. Crease only the bottom section as shown in the diagram.
Step 8
Fold the top right corner of the top flap down to meet the nearest horizontal line. Then, unfold.
Step 9
Inside reverse fold along the crease you just made.
Step 10
Fold the flap you just created to the left.
Step 11
Repeat Steps 8 to 10 on the left side.
Step 12
Turn the model over from top to bottom.
Step 13
Fold the colored flap down.
Step 14
Lift the top square flap and make a swivel fold by pushing its bottom left corner in and rotating the square upward.
Step 15
Repeat Step 14 on the right side.
Step 16
Turn the model over.
Step 17
For each square area, fold the top corners inward so they meet at the center.
💖 Folding tip: Make a small pinch mark at the center of the top edge as a guide. Start by folding corner B, and align it with the diagonal line. You can now use this first fold as a reference for the remaining folds.
Step 18
Fold the top corners down to meet the nearest horizontal line.
The Completed Origami Heart Card
I hope you enjoyed folding this heart card and that it finds its way to someone special.
If you’re up for more paper love, don’t miss our Valentine’s origami selection.
And if you want to learn more beautiful designs like this, subscribe to our origami YouTube channel or join our newsletter to get fresh tutorials right in your inbox.
Download the Full Origami Heart Card Printable PDF
Instructions
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