Gum chewers who prefer to entertain themselves have a reason to rejoice. Turning these gum wrappers into heart shapes is the ideal method to use productive fidgeting as you blow bubbles. You could also do an ode to the person you cherish.
If you’ve been able to fold an unpaid dollar into a heart, then you may be familiar with the procedure for creating the gum wrapper heart. It’s easy enough for an origami beginner to master.
Create the Shape
Transform a rectangular gum wrapper to a square shape by cutting off or tearing away one side of the wrapper. If the wrapper measures about twice in length as wide, you can fold it in half to form a square. Decide where it is necessary to cut by folding the wrapper and tearing it in half along the diagonal so that the shorter side is aligned against the length side. Cut off any excess material to create a square. Then, fold it half the opposite way to form a second crease that splits each triangle.
Make the First Folds
Place the square wrapper that you have unfolded in front of you (corner turned upwards) with the other side of the paper you wish to display in the final heart facing downwards. Fold the top corner until it meets the fold in the center of the wrapper. Fold it increases to secure the corner position. Make sure you fold the corner at the bottom upwards until it is at the high point of your paper, and fold the fold inwards. The wrapper should appear like the shape of a hexagon that has six points.
Create the Heart Shape
Use the lower edge of the right-hand edge of the wrapper and fold it over along the diagonal so that this edge is level with the middle fold. Repeat the folding on the opposite side and bring the bottom edge of the wrapper up until it is in line with the center fold. From this point, the wrapper should appear like a heart-shaped box with a slit in the middle.
Finish the Gum Wrapper Heart
Fold the corners of the wrapper, with the only exception of the bottom, to create a soft heart-shaped shape. The creases can be sharpened with a plastic card should you need to, but the gum wrapper should be able to hold the shape with no assistance. If you want to keep the heart intact for a long time and do not want it to begin breaking, apply small pieces of glue in the corners.
What do you have to do with the gum wrapper heart?
If you have made many hearts from wrapping paper, there are plenty of romantic ways to utilize the hearts. For instance, you could gift it to a loved one to make a sweet gesture.
If you create many of these, you could use a string or needle to join the hearts and decorate your living space.
Origami heart dollar
Making an Origami heart with the dollar bill is similar to making gum wrapper hearts. It’s the same process but with different materials. To create origami heart dollars, follow these easy steps:
- Divide the dollar into the shape of a square
- Make the first folds as mentioned above.
- Do the final folds to free your heart out of the dollar.
Be aware not to damage the dollar bill since the destruction of currency could be a criminal crime in your country or even your state. You can view the video below to create a heart-shaped origami dollar.
Uses for Gum Wrapper Hearts
After you’ve mastered this simple method of creating gum wrapper origami hearts, you’ll soon find yourself folding every empty wrapper into one. If you find yourself with many gum wrapper hearts available, there are various creative ways to use these hearts.
Use thread and needle to create a garland of hearts to display during Valentine’s Day or to hang over your desk. Use a handful of hearts to cushion the material within small gift bags. Adhere them onto greeting cards or make a DIY pop-up with hearts moving outward whenever the card is opened.
Conclusion
Making the heart of gum wrappers is an excellent opportunity to stretch your creativity and help the environment. Making use of items that could otherwise end up being thrown away is a small effort that can do a lot to show our respect for the earth. Also, it leaves us with stunning pieces of art to feel proud of. Try your hand at this technique.