Everyone needs a tiny paper heart sometimes. Stick one inside a birthday card, drop it in a lunchbox, hang it on a string over a desk — somehow a folded heart always lands better than a store-bought one. This little version is a perfect quick fold: it starts like a simple base, brings in one slightly fancy move called the cushion fold, and finishes with a satisfying crease-pattern collapse.

It's the kind of model you learn in five minutes and then fold from memory forever. Use a classic red origami square and it reads as a Valentine classic; use patterned scrap paper and it becomes something quirkier. And because it ends up small, you'll find yourself wanting to fold a whole handful at once.

This page is for those who want the instructions to fold a small origami paper heart.

This origami heart is a small-size model. One special folding technique involved with this model is cushion-fold.

Are you ready?

Let's get started.

You may use any kind of paper to fold this origami heart. Here I am using a typical origami paper with a dimension of 15cm x 15cm.

This is the front side of paper.

This is the back side of paper.

STEP 1.

Let’s start with the back side of the paper facing up. Prepare to mountain-fold in half horizontally and then unfold.

STEP 2.

Mountain-fold in half horizontally and then unfold. Prepare to mountain-fold in half vertically and then unfold.

STEP 3.

Mountain-fold in half vertically and then unfold. Prepare to apply a “cushion-fold” and then unfold.

STEP 4.

Apply the “cushion-fold” of the step #3 and then unfold. Prepare to apply a diagonal valley-fold and then unfold.

STEP 5.

Apply the diagonal valley-fold of the step #4 and then unfold. Prepare to apply another diagonal valley-fold and then unfold.

STEP 6.

Apply the diagonal valley-fold of the step #5 and then unfold. Prepare to apply four valley-folds.

STEP 7.

Apply four valley-folds of the step #6. Prepare to apply a “cushion-fold”.

STEP 8.

Apply the “cushion-fold” of the step #7. Prepare to turn the origami heart model over.

STEP 9.

Turn the origami heart model over. Prepare to apply a “cushion-fold”.

STEP 10.

Apply the “cushion-fold” of the step #9. Prepare to turn the origami heart model over.

STEP 11.

Turn the origami heart model over. Prepare to apply the crease pattern (CP) shown on the left.

STEP 12.

Start applying the CP of the step #11.

STEP 13.

Continue applying the CP of the step #11.

STEP 14.

Complete applying the CP of the step #11. Prepare to rotate the origami heart model by 90 degrees.

STEP 15.

Rotate the origami heart model by 90 degrees. Congratulations! You have completed making a small origami paper heart.