Hans Christian Andersen Paper Hearts: 14 Cozy Christmas Crafts That Cost Almost Nothing

Hans Christian Andersen gave the world The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling, but he also left behind something you can make at your kitchen table tonight. The oldest known woven paper Christmas heart was made by Andersen in 1860, and it still sits in the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark. Danish families have been folding, cutting and weaving these little red and white baskets ever since, filling them with sweets and hanging them on the tree. All you need is paper, scissors and a quiet evening. Below are fourteen cozy paper crafts inspired by the fairy tale writer who loved to cut paper while he told his stories. Most of them cost almost nothing, look lovely on a tree or in a window, and make sweet little gifts..

The Hans Christian Andersen Heart That Started It All

Picture a famous writer sitting at a table in 1860, snipping two strips of glossy paper and weaving them into a tiny heart shaped basket. That is the oldest known woven Christmas heart, and Hans Christian Andersen made it. According to Wikipedia’s history of pleated Christmas hearts, the first written guide to making them followed in 1871. Today Danish children learn the trick in school, and grown ups still argue happily about whose hearts are the neatest. Ready to weave your first one..

You will need: Two sheets of glossy paper in red and white, a pencil, a ruler, scissors and a bowl of wrapped sweets.

How to make it: 1. Fold each sheet in half and cut a long U shape about 3 by 9 inches with the fold at the bottom. 2. Cut two or three slits from the fold up, the same on both pieces. 3. Weave the loops through each other, in one loop and around the next, then add a paper handle and fill it with treats.

Classic Red and White Woven Heart Basket

Once you have made a small heart, try a big one. A large basket heart in classic red and white looks wonderful on a side table, hung from a door knob or set beside the cookie plate. Use thicker paper so it holds its shape, and cut four slits instead of two for a bolder checkerboard. The weaving feels tricky for the first three rows, then your fingers suddenly understand it. It is a calm, satisfying craft for a winter evening with music on. Why not make one for every door in the house?

You will need: Heavy red and white cardstock, a long ruler, a pencil, sharp scissors and a strip of ribbon for the handle.

How to make it: 1. Cut two U shapes about 5 by 14 inches with the fold at the bottom. 2. Cut four evenly spaced slits from the fold, stopping 2 inches from the round end. 3. Weave the strips through and around each other, push the rows tight with a fingertip and glue on a ribbon handle.

Sheet Music Woven Hearts for a Vintage Look

Old sheet music turns the Hans Christian Andersen heart into something that looks like it came from an antique shop. Thrift stores and library sales often sell yellowed music books for a dollar, and one book makes a whole tree’s worth of hearts. Pair the printed paper with plain cream or kraft paper so the notes stand out. Hang a row from a wooden shelf with red ribbon and the whole corner suddenly feels like a cozy old Copenhagen apartment. Do you have a forgotten songbook in a drawer?

You will need: Pages from an old music book, cream or kraft paper, a glue stick, scissors and thin red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Glue a music page to the back of a kraft sheet so both sides look finished, then let it dry. 2. Cut the woven heart pattern from the music sheet and from plain paper. 3. Weave the pieces, punch a hole at the top and tie each heart on a loop of red ribbon.

A Hans Christian Andersen Paper Cut Star for the Window

Danish windows in December are full of white paper stars, and it is easy to see why. They cost nothing, they glow when the morning light comes through, and they look like frost that never melts. Fold a square of thin white paper into a narrow wedge, cut little triangles and curves along both edges, then open it with a gasp. Every star comes out different. Tape a big one in the middle of the window and scatter tiny ones around it. Which window in your house gets the morning sun?

You will need: Thin white printer or tracing paper, small sharp scissors, a pencil and removable tape.

How to make it: 1. Fold a square in half into a triangle, then fold it into thirds to make a narrow cone. 2. Draw small shapes along both folded edges and cut them out, leaving some paper between each cut. 3. Unfold gently, press flat under a book for an hour and tape it to the glass.

A Hans Christian Andersen Heart in Any Colors You Love

Red and white is the classic, but nobody says you must stop there. This modern copy of the Hans Christian Andersen heart uses sunny yellow and soft teal, and it looks fresh and cheerful. Try colors that match your tree, your kitchen or your grandchildren’s favorite shades. Metallic gold with deep green looks elegant, pink with white looks sweet, and navy with silver feels wintry. Make a dozen in different pairs and hang them together for a bright, happy tree. What two colors would you pick first?

You will need: Colored paper in two contrasting shades, a cardboard template, a pencil, scissors and thread.

How to make it: 1. Draw one woven heart piece on cardboard and cut it out to use as a template. 2. Trace and cut matching pieces from both colors, keeping the slits the same length. 3. Weave, add a thread loop at the top and hang them in mixed color pairs.

Hans Christian Andersen Papercut Silhouettes

Andersen was famous among friends for cutting paper while he talked. He would tell a story, snip away with large scissors, and unfold a dancing figure, a swan or a castle at the very end. Many of his papercuts survive in the museum in Odense, like these two cheerful dancers placed on a page of music. You can borrow the idea for gift wrap, cards or framed winter art. Fold black paper once, cut half a figure along the fold and open it up. Who is your first silhouette going to be?

You will need: Black or dark red paper, white or sheet music paper for the background, a pencil, small scissors and a glue stick.

How to make it: 1. Fold the dark paper in half and sketch half a figure, tree or angel against the fold. 2. Cut it out slowly, turning the paper rather than the scissors. 3. Open it, glue it onto a light background and frame it or fold it into a card.

Folded Paper Star Ornaments

The woven paper star is the heart’s best friend on a Danish tree. Four long strips of paper are knotted together, folded into sharp points and pulled into a crisp three dimensional star. The first one takes a little patience, so make it with a video or a friend beside you. By the third star you will be folding them while you chat. White stars look like snow, gold ones catch the tree lights, and a basket of them makes a lovely hostess gift. Could you make one for every guest?

You will need: Four paper strips per star about 1 by 18 inches, a ruler, scissors and thread for hanging.

How to make it: 1. Fold each strip in half and interlock the four loops in a woven square. 2. Fold the loose ends back to form the flat points around the square, then twist and tuck the remaining ends into the three dimensional points. 3. Trim the leftover tails and add a thread loop.

Paper Snowflakes Cut by Hand

Everyone remembers cutting snowflakes in school, but grown up snowflakes can be truly beautiful. Thin paper, sharp small scissors and a little patience give you lacy flakes that look store bought. Mix white with a few in gold or silver paper and scatter them across a dark table runner, glue them to gift bags or string them across a doorway. It is the perfect quiet craft for a snowy afternoon. Make a pile, pour a hot drink and see how many different designs you can invent. Ready for a challenge?

You will need: Thin white and metallic paper, a small bowl to trace circles, small scissors and a hole punch.

How to make it: 1. Trace and cut a circle, fold it in half and then into thirds for six points. 2. Cut small notches, curves and triangles along every edge, leaving the folds partly whole. 3. Unfold, press flat inside a heavy book overnight and display.

Gold Star Lantern With Tiny Cutouts

Scandinavian paper star lanterns hang in almost every window across Denmark and Sweden in December. A simple version is easier than it looks: cut two paper stars with tiny star shaped holes, join them with folded side panels, and place a battery LED light inside. At night the little cutouts throw sparkles across the walls. Use gold or cream cardstock for a warm glow. Only ever use a battery tea light or LED string inside paper, never a real flame. Where would yours shine best?

You will need: Gold or cream cardstock, a star template, a craft knife with an adult’s help, a small star punch, glue and a battery LED light.

How to make it: 1. Cut two large stars and punch small star holes across both. 2. Fold a long strip into a zigzag and glue it between the stars to make a three dimensional lantern. 3. Slip a battery LED inside through a gap and hang it with a ribbon.

Red Honeycomb Paper Heart

Honeycomb paper hearts open like an accordion into a puffy three dimensional shape, and they look far more expensive than they are. You can make them at home by gluing stacks of tissue paper in alternating stripes, then cutting the stack into a heart. Fold it open and clip the ends together. A big red one hanging in the window looks like a glowing lantern when light comes through it. Make a few small ones for the tree in the same red as your woven hearts. Which room needs a pop of red?

You will need: Red tissue paper, a glue stick, a heart template, sharp scissors, two paper clips and thread.

How to make it: 1. Stack about twenty sheets of tissue, gluing thin stripes between each layer and moving the stripes every other sheet. 2. Press under books, then cut a half heart through the whole stack. 3. Fan it open into a full heart, clip the ends together and hang it.

Glowing Woven Heart Night Light

A woven heart made from wide strips of white paper or ribbon becomes a soft little night light when you tuck a battery LED inside. It is a lovely idea for a bedside table, a dark hallway or a child’s room during the long winter nights. The open weave lets the warm light spill out in stripes. Make the strips wider than usual so the heart is roomy, and use stiff ribbon or heavy paper so it stands up on its own. Isn’t it nice to come home to a little glow?

You will need: Wide white ribbon or heavy white paper strips, a stapler or glue, scissors and a battery LED tea light.

How to make it: 1. Weave a big heart using strips about 1.5 inches wide, leaving the top open. 2. Glue the strip ends neatly inside so the heart keeps its shape. 3. Switch on a battery LED tea light, set it inside and place the heart on a plate.

Hans Christian Andersen Style Paper Chain Tree

Before shiny glass ornaments were everywhere, families decorated their trees with paper: woven hearts, cones, flags and long paper chains. In the spirit of Hans Christian Andersen, a tree trimmed only in handmade paper feels warm, playful and personal. Use leftover gift wrap, scrapbook paper, old maps or book pages for the links, and loop the chain round and round the tree. It is a wonderful job to share with family after dinner. How long do you think your chain can get before bedtime?

You will need: Patterned paper scraps, a paper trimmer or scissors, a glue stick or small stapler.

How to make it: 1. Cut strips about 1 by 6 inches from as many patterns as you can find. 2. Glue the first strip into a ring, thread the next strip through it and glue that closed. 3. Keep going until the chain is long enough to wind around your tree.

Red and White Kraft Gift Wrap to Match Your Hearts

Plain brown kraft paper and red and white baker’s twine make gift wrap with the same cozy Danish feeling as the woven hearts. It costs very little and looks lovely under the tree. Tuck a sprig of fir or rosemary under the twine, add a handwritten paper tag, and finish with a mini woven heart in place of a store bought bow. A whole stack of these parcels looks like a picture from an old Christmas book. Who on your list would love a handmade heart on their present?

You will need: A roll of brown kraft paper, red and white baker’s twine, small paper tags, fresh greenery sprigs and mini woven hearts.

How to make it: 1. Wrap each gift in kraft paper with crisp folded edges. 2. Tie it with baker’s twine crossed both ways and knotted on top. 3. Slide in a sprig of greenery and a small paper tag, then tie on a mini woven heart.

Sewn Paper Heart Garland

A sewn paper heart garland is the quickest project in this list and one of the prettiest. Cut a pile of small paper hearts, then run them through a sewing machine one after another on a long thread, leaving a little gap between each. If you do not sew, a needle and thread works too. Fold the hearts slightly along the stitching so they flutter when the heating comes on. Hang it across a window, a mirror or a bookcase for the whole winter. For more easy evening projects, see our Christmas crafts for adults. What color will your first garland be?

You will need: Cardstock or scrapbook paper, a heart punch or template, scissors and a sewing machine or a needle and strong thread.

How to make it: 1. Punch or cut thirty to fifty small hearts. 2. Feed them through the sewing machine one by one on a straight stitch down the center, leaving a short gap of thread between each. 3. Gently fold each heart in half along the stitch line and hang the garland.