How to Fold an Origami Heart Bookmark

Make a perfect gift for your favorite bookworm

Origami Heart Bookmark

Dana Hinders

If you are looking for a small treat to give to your favorite bookworm, this origami heart bookmark is a great choice. It is easy to fold, but the heart embellishment makes it a bit more decorative than an ordinary origami corner bookmark.

The origami heart bookmark in this tutorial is made from a single sheet of square origami paper. The best option is to use paper that is either 6 inches by 6 inches or 4 inches by 4 inches, depending upon how large you would like your finished bookmark to be. A solid-colored paper or a paper with a subtle pattern looks best for this project; bold patterns detract from the simplicity of the heart shape.

Watch Now: How to Make an Origami Heart Bookmark

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Glue stick (optional)

Materials

  • 1 piece solid or patterned paper
  • Stickers (optional)

Instructions

  1. Create an 'X' Crease Pattern

    To begin making your origami heart bookmark, start with the patterned side of your paper face-down. If your paper is a solid color on both sides, you don't need to worry about what side is face-down.

    • Fold your paper along one of the diagonals to make a triangle shape.
    • Crease well, then unfold.
    • Fold in half along the opposite diagonal.
    • Crease well, then unfold.

    When you're finished, your paper should have an crease pattern in the shape of an X in the middle.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    Dana Hinders
  2. Fold the Paper in Half Horizontally

    Flip your paper over, so the patterned side is facing up. Fold it in half horizontally. The crease you make should go across the intersection of the "X" crease pattern you created in the previous step.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    © Dana Hinders
  3. Fold the Bottom to the Middle of the Paper

    Open your paper up. Fold the bottom up to the middle crease.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    © Dana Hinders
  4. Collapse the Paper to Create a Triangle

    Unfold the paper, and push in gently on the horizontal creases to collapse the paper into a triangle. This collapsed triangle form is known as a balloon base. It is used to create many different origami projects, including a basic origami butterfly.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    © Dana Hinders
  5. Start Forming Your Origami Heart

    With the crease facing you, lift the top layer of the triangle upward and flatten. This will eventually become the heart embellishment on your origami bookmark.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    © Dana Hinders
  6. Fold Down

    Flip your paper over, and fold the top triangle flap down. Fold the top horizontal edge down, so it meets the crease you created by folding down the triangle flap.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    © Dana Hinders
  7. Flatten the Corner Pockets

    Stick a finger in each corner pocket and flatten the paper.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    © Dana Hinders
  8. Create the Top of Your Origami Heart

    Fold the exposed corners in to create the two sides of the final heart shape. Then, fold the top left and right points down to round out the corners of the heart.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    © Dana Hinders
  9. Complete Your Origami Heart Bookmark

    Flip your paper over and bring the triangle flap back up.

    Origami Heart Bookmark
    Dana Hinders

If desired, you can decorate the origami heart bookmark with stickers or write a message on it. If you use stickers, try putting a large sticker over the part where the two sides of the heart join together to prevent the reader from accidentally unfolding the bookmark. You may also want to use a glue stick to glue the top of the heart to the triangle base.