How to weave a Christmas heart
A woven Christmas heart starts with two folded pieces of paper. Pass the strips alternately through and around each other to make a little basket. This guide uses the classic heart with three strips in each half.
No printer? Trace the template from your screenWhat you need
- Paper in two colours, such as glossy craft paper or ordinary 80 gsm coloured paper.
- A printed template, scissors and optional paper clips to hold the template in place.
- An extra strip of paper and a little glue for the handle.
Print, fold and cut
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Step 1:Print the template on A4 at 100% scale.
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Step 2:Fold the paper in half. Place the template’s dashed line along the fold.
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Step 3:Cut the outline through both layers. Do not cut off the fold.
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Step 4:Cut from the fold along each inner line, right to its endpoint.
Make one half in each colour. Keep the paper folded: each strip must be a two-layer loop, joined at the fold.
How to interlock the loops
Place the white half from the left and the red half from above, at right angles. The rounded ends point away from each other. Start with the white strip nearest the red half, and weave one whole strip at a time.
If the template has a small cross, lay the halves so the crosses lie on top of each other where the rounded ends meet, with ⊗ on the left half.
Each strip has two layers
Open the loop in one colour and pass the other colour’s folded strip through the opening. Both layers go through together. At the next crossing, switch which loop you open.
Close-ups of one crossing. The opening is exaggerated so you can see both layers.
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First white strip
Pass the white loop through the first red loop. Then open the white loop and pass the second red one through it. Finally, pass the white loop through the third red one.
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Second white strip
Reverse the sequence: pass the first red loop through the second white loop. Pass the white through the second red, then the third red through the white.
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Third white strip
Repeat the first strip’s sequence: white through red, red through white, white through red. Gently slide the woven strips into place as you go, leaving room for the last strip.
The numbered rows are the three white strips. The drawing shows the pattern from the front; the close-ups above show how the loops pass through each other.
Open the heart and add a handle
Gently straighten the strips and open the heart from the top. It should open into a little basket. Glue one end of a paper strip inside the front and the other inside the back. Let the glue dry before hanging it up.
Paper, sizing and help with the weave
Why won’t my heart open?
You may have woven individual layers rather than complete loops, or laid one strip on top of another without threading it through the opening. Unweave back to the mistake. Check that both layers pass through together at every crossing.
Why is the last strip hard to thread?
Slide the strips you have already woven closer to the rounded ends. Bend the paper gently without pulling hard. Also check that every cut reaches the template’s endpoint and both halves were printed at the same scale.
Which paper should I use?
Start with thin, flexible paper in two contrasting colours. Ordinary 80 gsm coloured printer paper is a good starting point. Glossy craft paper gives the traditional shiny finish. Stiff card is harder to bend through the loops, especially in small hearts.
How do I print the template at the right size?
Choose A4 and 100% or “Actual size” in the print dialog. Turn off “Fit to page”. Use the same settings for both halves and check the print preview so no cutting lines fall outside the sheet.
How do I make a larger heart?
Enlarge both halves by the same percentage. At 150%, every length becomes one and a half times as large: 8 cm becomes 12 cm, for example. Use larger paper or tiled printing if the template no longer fits on A4.
How do I weave a different pattern?
The principle of weaving complete loops stays the same. More strips, curves and narrow corners take more room and patience. Follow each template’s cutting lines and advice; some patterns use a different template for each half.