Temko Heart

Temko Heart is a super simple origami heart shown to me by the late Florence Temko. It is made from a square sheet of paper and you will need to cut or tear the paper a little bit.

Don’t panic. Original Japanese origami models were made with paper with small cuts. This is most evident in the 1797 book, “Folding of 1000 Cranes“ (Senbazuru Orikata). Here, interconnected paper cranes are made from a single sheet of paper which was cut but they are still connected by a small section of uncut paper.
 

It’s the same idea here: a small cut (in this case, a tear which is even better since you don’t need a pair of scissors) in the right place makes the model elegant in its simplicity. Thanks Florence!

Temko Heart diagram

1. Start with a square sheet of paper with the white-side facing up.
   Fold and unfold in half both directions.
2. Fold the top section in half again to get a crease at the 1/4 mark.

 


3. Tear down the center of the paper up to the 1/4 mark.
4. Fold in the top corners of the paper.

 


5. Fold up the bottom corners of the paper so they meet in the middle.
6. Fold down the top corners a little so the peaks are less pointy.

 


7. Turn the model over and you’re done!

 
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