How to Make a Paper Heart

What better way to show your love than with a gorgeous handmade paper heart? Learn how to make a paper heart with paper in a few minutes.

These gorgeous paper hearts are not just for Valentine’s Day. Since they have a vintage vibe, you can decorate with them all year.

You can find more Valentine’s Day ideas in this earlier post.

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How to Make a Heart Out of Paper

You can create these hearts with book pages, craft paper, wrapping paper, greeting cards, paper doilies, and more.

Hanging Paper Heart Supplies

• Book pages, newspaper, origami paper
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Foam core or a cardboard box
• Hot glue
• Pencil or dowel 
• Xacto knife 
• Ribbon 3/8″
• Black paper
• Buttons (optional)
• Large heart-shaped cookie cutter 
• Craft tape (this is the one I used)
• Cutting mat
• Glue stick
• 🤓 I recommend you watch my how-to Video before you begin

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Craft supplies

Book Page Heart Instructions 

Step 1. Trace Heart

To begin, use a pencil to trace around a heart-shaped cookie cutter or another heart pattern on the foam core. 

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Trace around heart

Step 2. Cut Out Heart

Next, use a Xacto knife and cut along the penciled heart lines. Note: Be sure to use a cutting mat or cutting board under your project. 

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Cut out foam core

Step 3. Cut Papers

Tear out the pages from a book or use the ones that have fallen out. For example, the paper I used (book page) was 9 1/4 inches by six inches.

I cut each page about three inches by six inches, so I conserve my paper, and it is easier to handle. Note: if you are using a square sheet of paper, cut it into three equal pieces.

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Paper Cuts

Step 4. Tape 

Before rolling the paper, I add a glue line on the long side of the bottom inside the flap. As a result, it will naturally be glued in place when I finish rolling the paper. Note: Be sure to flip the paper so that the writing will be in the correct direction.

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Add glue

Step 5. Make Paper Rolls

Roll your paper with the long side against the wood dowel or pencil using your hands to curl and bend the first turn. Make sure to hold your paper tightly as you roll. 

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Roll paper on the dowel

Step 6. Glue Paper Rolls 

Apply a line of glue along the seam of the paper roll. 

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Apply glue to paper roll

Step 7. Glue Rolls to Heart

Starting at the top of the heart, attach paper rolls as close together as possible. 

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Glue on rolled paper

Step 8. Trim Paper Hearts

Next, turn over your heart and cut off the excess rolled paper using the foam core heart as your guide. 

Note: I covered the back of the heart with a book page and a glue stick.

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Cut off the extra rolled paper.

Step 9. Ribbon Loops

To embellish my heart, I cut three pieces of 3/8″ ribbon cut into five-inch lengths. Then, I used hot glue and made the ribbons into loops.

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Three ribbon loops

Step 10. Ribbon Star on Paper Heart

To attach the ribbon loops, I used a crisis cross method that had equal spaces between each circle, applying hot glue with each addition. 

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Add ribbon loops

Step 11. Ribbon Hanger

Since these foam core and paper hearts are incredibly lightweight, you can hang them with a simple ribbon hanger. I used a ribbon cut to 7 1/5″ long and used hot glue to attach them to the back.

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Attach hanger

Embellishing Paper Heart Ideas

To embellish book page hearts, you can use any embellishment, such as buttons, charms, paper cutouts, ribbons, sequins, ribbons, and more. 

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DIY Paper Heart

Want More Craft Ideas?

Please join me (with this form) as we craft up some fun. You can look forward to receiving new inspiration every week. 

See you soon,

Kippi