Fabric Origami Flower Hearts!

Fabric Origami Flower Hearts!  

When I was in middle school my mother, Corina, would take my sister and I to Burlington Origami Group, "BOG" every week.
We would spend what seemed to be hours folding paper. It was a lot of fun, we even made it to an origami convention or two!
These flower hearts were always my favorite thing to fold. I would fold any rectangle I could find in to these pretty hearts. I still fold dollars into to them occasionally, mainly as a party trick!

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make one out of fabric. They can be used for all sorts of things some ideas might be to embellish onezies (pictured left) made into ornaments, or use as valentines. 

Start with a half square rectangle, here mine is 3" x 6"and makes a 3" heart. I use starch to keep the folds crisp. I also recommend using sewing tweezers because you'll get a more accurate fold and the fabric can get hot!   

1. Fold rectangle in half, press, then open.
2. Fold a corner point up to the center line, press, unfold, repeat all sides until it looks like two x's on either side of your line. I recommend not using starch until you finish this step. 
3. Lightly spray one "x." now bring the centers of the "x" together  while pushing down on the outer points to form a triangle. Repeat on opposite side.   
4. Fold in each flap of your newly made triangles to the center.
5. Spray lightly with starch, place your tweezers inside the smaller triangle you just created. Gentle push down on the top to flatten into a square. This is called a "squash fold"
6. Working on your four newly created squares, Spray light with starch, then fold the outer edge to the center while squashing the top. This is the same squash fold as in the last step.
7. Fold the top point back behind your flower to meet the bottom of the heart.
8. turn your heart over spray lightly with starch, and then fold in your side points to round out your heart. 

If you are going to embellish garments that you wish to be laundered than I suggest either coating the outside with fabric glue or stitching down the points with very small inconspicuous tacks. 

I hope you enjoy making flower hearts! Please feel free to comment if you have questions!