How to Fold an Origami Heart with Bow

This unique origami craft combines a heart, a symbol of love, with an elegant bow, making it a perfect way to show your appreciation and express your affection. It would be thoughtful to stick one on top of a sweet chocolate box for your loved one on a Valentine’s Day or other special day. It can be used in various ways, from a thoughtful gift to a decoration for cards, or your house.

This heart is made with a Water Bomb Base, and check our other types of hearts, like Origami Puffy Heart, and Origami Blossom Heart.

If you are new to origami, start here from our beginner guide to know the basics and how to read the step-by-step instructions.

Folding time: 15 minutes
Paper: 15×15 cm
Difficulty: Middle

Material

Prepare a piece of 15×15 cm origami square paper or any other square paper, with different colors on each side, to create a 6.7×7.5 cm origami heart with a bow.

Using patterned or glittery paper will make your heart more impressive.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Place the paper with the desired display color side up to begin folding, fold it in half horizontally, leaving a crease then unfold it.

Step 2

Fold it in half vertically, and unfold it.

Step 3

Rotate the paper 180 degrees from the left to the right, to flip the paper over.

Step 4

Fold it in half diagonally, leaving a crease, and unfold it.

Step 5

Fold it in half diagonally from the other direction, and unfold it.

Step 6

Shape the left and right creases, and push the midpoints of the left, right, and top edges to meet the midpoint of the bottom edge, then flatten the fold along the existing creases, creating a triangle.

Step 7

Fold the top point down to meet the midpoint of the bottom edge.

Step 8

Rotate the paper 90 degrees from the back to the front, to make the bottom opening face up. Next, open this opening by pushing down the top and bottom edges to the sides, then squash the middle standing corners, getting two triangles.

Step 9

Focus on the triangle on the right side, fold its bottom left edge to align with its top left edge, then fold the top point of the edge you just folded up to meet the center point of the paper, and the bottom right point to meet the midpoint of the bottom edge [as the second picture shows].

Next, flatten the fold, and fold the small triangle down [as the third and fourth pictures show].

Step 10

Similarly, fold the bottom right edge of the left triangle to align with its top right edge. Next, fold the top point of the folded-up edge to meet the center point of the paper, and fold the bottom left point to meet the midpoint of the bottom edge. Then flatten the fold, and fold the small triangle down.

Step 11

Rotate the paper 180 degrees from the left to the right.

Step 12

Lift the bottom right edge, and fold it up along the crease indicated by the dotted line, then fold the top point of the folded-up edge to meet the center point, and fold the bottom right point to meet the midpoint of the bottom edge of the paper [the second picture].

Finally, flatten the fold, and fold the triangle down.

Step 13

Repeat this for the left side. Fold up the bottom left slanted edge along the crease indicated by the dotted line, then fold the two points on the left side shown by the red spots to meet the center point of the paper, and the midpoint of the bottom edge, as you did in the previous step.

Finally, flatten the fold, and fold down the small triangle.