From www.chubbyhobby.com

Origami Heart Earrings :: a tutorial

Posted February 8, 2010 By Jo

Valentines is just ONE WEEK away!!
How about making something special for yourself to wear on the big day? ^0^
… Or for anyone who’s still searching for a Valentines Day surprise gift!

It’s quite easy to make, and I’ve included lots of photo to follow!
So here we go…
You’ll need:

• A piece of Washi (Japanese Origami Paper) 15cm x 15cm
• Beads (of your choice)
• 2 x Fish-hook earring findings
• 2 x Head Pins
• PVA Glue
• Water-based Polyurethane & brush to apply
• Pliers
• Pin & Needle
• Scissors
• Wire

Step 1

Have your washi ready on a cutting mat. I used a type of origami paper known as Yuzen Chiyogami – love the prints! I also chose pink/red because it’s Valentines!

Cut out two 1.5 cm strips.

Step 2

Take one strip, fold one end of the washi to form a triangle.
And then keep wrapping the washi around the triangle.

When you reach the end of the washi strip, it should look something like the picture above. Fold the bottom corner of the part of washi strip still sticking out.

Step 3

Use a toothpick to apply a tiny bit of glue.

Tuck “end bit” in.

Step 4

Use your finger, gently press from the top of the triangle. Squash the two sides a bit to form a rough heart shape.
Repeat step 2 to 4 for the other washi strip.

Step 5

Use a pair of sharp scissors, trim the two sides of both hearts to make them rounder.

Step 6

First poke with a pin, and then a real thick needle to make a decent size pinhole.

Insert a piece of wire through both hearts – you don’t want to be holding the hearts when you apply the coating!!!

Step 7

Use a small paint brush to apply a thin coat of polyurethane and let dry. Repeat 2-3 times. Patience is the key – let dry completely between applications.

I’ve made heaps more hearts while waiting for the coating to dry ^0^

Step 8

Your hearts are now sturdy and water-resistant!

Remove hearts from wire and insert a head pin into each.
Thread a few beads in to make the earrings a bit more interesting.

Step 9

Trim the head pin if it’s too long, leave a section of exposed length of pin to form a loop using a pair of pliers.
Open the loop of a fish-hook finding and attach it to the head pin. Then close the loop again.
I don’t have a picture for this step, because I couldn’t take one><

Step 10

No more steps!! You are DONE! ^3^