Easy Origami Heart Instructions: Simple Step by Step for Kids to Follow

This page shows you how to make a really simple and easy origami heart - so simple that the instructions are suitable for both kids and adults to make. Young children might need some guidance with completing the step by step format. Older kids should be able to complete these on their own once they know how the sequence goes.

The heart is made in just 11 steps with absolutely no tricky folds to master. If you can crease paper, you can do this! A fun and easy project for Valentine's day and a cute craft.

Image Credits: All images on this page belong to the author, Marie Williams Johnstone.

You need 1 square of paper to make an origami heart. You can work with a piece that is small or large but I'd recommend starting with paper measuring at least 5 x 5 inches until you're confident in your folding.

This size works well if you need paper folded hearts to stick onto the front of a handmade Valentine, Wedding or Anniversary card.Try making 3 hearts in different sizes and stick together from large to small so you have a beautiful 3D layered heart.

Unfold the paper back into a square shape once you've made your diagonal crease. With single-sided paper, the blank side should be facing upwards.

Rotate your paper so the diagonal crease is facing the same way as my example at a \ (back-slash directional) slant.

Pick up the bottom right corner of your paper and drag it over to the top left to fold your paper diagonally in half in the other direction and make your crease.

Unfold your paper and you should now see 2 folded creases which cross over in an X shape.

Twist the paper around so that it sits like a diamond shape in front of you on your work surface. This makes your folds now appear in a cross + shape. The blank side of the paper should be facing up.

Pull the top corner down to the middle fold line of the paper, line the point of the corner up with the exact mid point of the paper and make a crease.

Pull the bottom corner of the paper up, position the corner right at the top middle of the paper and make a crease.

Take hold of the corner on the right side and lift this side of the paper right up and fold what was the bottom right edge along the middle crease line.

Repeat this process on the left side. Take hold of the corner on the left side and lift this side of the paper right up and fold what was the bottom left edge along the middle crease line.

You now get something that vaguely resembles a heart shape.

Flip your origami heart over so you can see the back of it. Take hold of the right corner and fold it back slightly in this < direction. Then repeat on the other side by folding back the left corner slightly in this > direction. This just adds more shape to your completed heart.

Now take hold of the top right corner and fold it down to meet the edge of the colored or patterned side of paper as shown. Repeat this process on the left by folding that corner down to the edge of the paper as well. This helps to round off the heart's edges.