Folding a paper heart is a classic origami project that's simple and fun to make. Here's a step-by-step guide to folding a paper heart:
1. **Prepare Your Paper**: Start with a square piece of paper. If your paper is not already square, you can easily make it square by folding one corner diagonally across to the opposite edge, then trimming off the excess paper along the folded edge.
2. **Fold in Half**: Fold the paper in half diagonally to form a triangle. Crease the fold well and then unfold the paper.
3. **Fold the Top Corners**: Take the top corners of the triangle and fold them down towards the center bottom edge, forming two smaller triangles at the top. The tips of these corners should meet at the center bottom edge.
4. **Fold the Sides**: Fold the two side corners of the triangle inward towards the center bottom edge, aligning them with the center crease. These folds will create the curves of the heart shape.
5. **Fold the Bottom**: Fold the bottom point of the triangle upwards, tucking it slightly underneath the two side flaps. This will form the bottom point of the heart.
6. **Shape the Heart**: Gently open up the two side flaps and shape the heart by gently curving the paper along the folds. You can adjust the shape until you're happy with how it looks.
7. **Crease Well**: Once you're satisfied with the shape of your heart, crease all the folds well to secure them in place.
Congratulations! You've folded a paper heart. You can use it as a decorative item, write a message on it, or use it in various crafts and projects. Experiment with different sizes and types of paper to create hearts of different colors and textures. Have fun folding!