How To Make a Heart Out of a Gum Wrapper: Step by Step Tutorial

Making a heart out of a gum wrapper can be fun for adults and kids. It’s a simple activity that only takes a few minutes. You can use this activity to keep your hands busy or for decoration purposes! 

Here’s how you can make a heart out of a gum wrapper in 9 easy steps:

1. Find a gum wrapper.
2. Fold the wrapper into a square.
3. Cut off the excess wrapper. 
4. Fold the square into triangles.
5. Fold the top down.
6. Fold the bottom up.
7. Make peaks at the top.
8. Fold top peaks down.
9. Fold side corners in.  

You can use many techniques to make a gum wrapper heart. However, this is one of the most simple techniques used to create this adorable paper trinket.

Want to see it in action? Check out the video below. I’ve also written out the steps as well, in case you want to slowly go through the steps, too.

1. Find a Gum Wrapper 

The first step is to get a gum wrapper. 

You can use any gum wrapper that you wish, big or small, colored or uncolored. If your gum wrapper is so tiny that you cannot manipulate it with your hands, it won’t work. Otherwise, any size gum wrapper that you can fold with your hands will work. 

Here are a few tips for choosing a gum wrapper:  

• Choose the size based on your heart. The implication with bigger gum wrappers is that your heart will be bigger. Smaller wrappers are for smaller hearts. Choose a wrapper that corresponds with how big you want your origami heart to be. 
  
• Choose your desired color. If you want your heart to be a particular color, make sure to find a gum wrapper with that color. Or, if you’re going to have a design on your heart, make sure to draw or color this design before you start folding. 
  
• Ensure the wrapper is easier to fold. Most gum wrappers come in flimsy paper that is easy to fold. Make sure that you have this type of wrapper and not the more durable plastic kind. 
  
• Look around and experiment. If you’re unsure how you want your heart to look, try experimenting with different gum wrappers. Try some that are larger and some that are smaller to see what works best for you. 

Once you find a gum wrapper, you’re ready to begin making your heart. 

2. Fold the Wrapper Into a Square

Start by folding your wrapper into a square. If you have a rectangular gum wrapper, you may need to fold it several times to achieve this. 

The easiest way to make a perfect square is to fold the wrapper in half on the longer side. Then determine how close it is to a square by folding your wrapper diagonally and matching the corners.

If the corners touch, but you see that the outer edges do not line up, making two perfect triangles, don’t worry. You’ll need one more step to get a perfect square. (source: eHow: How to Make Gum Wrapper Hearts)

3. Cut Off the Excess Wrapper

To complete your square wrapper, you can use scissors to cut off the excess sides that stick out when the corners are matched up. Cut in a straight line the outer edges so that you have two perfect triangles on each side.

Once you have your square folded across the diagonal, creating two perfect triangles on each side, you’re ready to go. You can unfold your wrapper and leave it as a square. 

4. Fold the Square Into Four Triangles

With your wrapper unfolded as a square in front of you, it is time to fold your square into four triangles.

Complete the following steps to make your four triangles:

1. Fold the square gum wrapper in half across the diagonal, making two triangles, just as you did before.
2. Make sure the corners are touching evenly. 
3. Fold the triangle in half again along the longest side. 

You’ll now see one small folded triangle. You can unfold it so that you have the original square in front of you, but with the fold lines visible to see the outline of the four triangles. (source: Shutterstock)

5. Fold the Top Down

First, rotate your square to face you as a diamond shape, with one corner sticking up, like a road sign. Once you have positioned your square like a diamond, fold down the top half of the top triangle. 

Take the top corner and fold it down to touch the very middle of the diamond. It’ll be easy to tell where this is because it’ll be the center of the two middle creases in the shape of a cross. 

6. Fold the Bottom Up

Like what you just did with the top, you’ll now do to the bottom part. Fold the bottom corner of your diamond upwards. The bottom corner should touch the flat top that you have just folded down.

You’ll now see that both the top and bottom edges are flat, and the sides have pointed corners. 

7. Make Peaks at the Top

Now, looking at the right side, fold the right corner so that the wrapper creases where the top part has been folded down. Your right corner will now become a triangle peak on top of your folded wrapper. 

Repeat this step with the left side. 

8. Fold Top Peaks Down

You should now have a form that slightly resembles a heart, with two triangle peaks on top, one on each side, and a pointed bottom.

Now, fold the two top peaks down over the top crease. These should now be flat on top. 

9. Fold Side Corners In

Finally, fold the two side corners so that the sides are flat rather than pointy. If you’ve done everything correctly, you should now have a heart shape! You can make any final touches by folding any little corners to make the heart more rounded, if you wish. (Source: Krokotak)

If you follow these nine easy steps, you can have a gum wrapper heart in no time! Hopefully, these steps help you quickly become a gum wrapper origami heart fanatic.