When I was a little girl I used to spend HOURS making traditional Danish paper hearts (julehjerter) and stars (julestjerner) ready for Christmas. A great way to get kids involved in festive activities (and away from their ipads!) all you need is paper, scissors and sellotape or glue; you can either cut the heart template from paper, or find ready-to-weave Danish heart basket kits here, along with lots of other lovely paper craft ideas.
They look lovely either strung on ribbon as pretty Danish bunting, or hung on the tree and filled with tiny sweets. Once you have the knack of weaving them, they can also be made with felt for a slightly more durable ornament, and you can also increase the number of tabs for a more complex design; just remember that each “finger” has to be the same length as the width of the heart once the heart has been folded in half.
- Cut out two pieces of different coloured paper into the shape shown on the template; red and white are the most traditional.
- Fold each piece in half and make 2 equidistant cuts just up to where the edge of the heart starts to bend.
- Weave the paper as shown on the diagram; the first strip (1) will go outside C, through B and outside A.
- The order is reversed for the second strip (2) (which goes inside C, outside B and inside A) and then again for the third strip (1) (outside C, through B, outside A).
- Cut a piece of paper for the handle and glue on as shown. Fill with sweeties and tiny treats and hang on your Scandi-style tree.
Download the pdf to print out the instructions here!
How to make danish christmas woven heart baskets
