Rosette Pleated Heart
If you love hearts but don’t love the pressure of Valentine’s Day décor, this project is for you.
This rosette pleated heart is made from simple paper folds and finished with the easiest book page bow ever — no templates, no measuring stress, and no seasonal colors required. When made with book pages or neutral papers, this heart becomes evergreen décor you can enjoy all year long.
Soft, vintage, and full of texture, it works beautifully for wall décor, garlands, gift toppers, or styled shelves.
Why This Rosette Heart Is Different
Most folded paper hearts are made from the bottom up and end up looking flat or stiff.
This version is folded side-to-side, creating a rosette look that adds movement, dimension, and softness.
✨ Think less “holiday craft” and more “well-loved, handmade detail.”
Supplies You’ll Need to Make that Heart
- Paper (book pages, white cardstock, or napkins decoupaged onto paper)
- Scissors Glue (hot glue or craft glue)
- Optional: ribbon, twine, pearls, or embellishments for the center
- Optional: book page bow (tutorial linked below)
That’s it — no special tools required.
Step 1: Create the Pleated Rosette
Start with a rectangular piece of paper (Wider paper = wider heart. Longer paper = longer heart.)
Fold your paper in half so you have 2 same pieces on the short side and draw your pattern that you see below. Seperate those pieces and and hot glue at the end. Fold in half to get even accordion fold .
Make sure to watch video below to make all clear .
🔹 Important Folding Step (This Makes the Heart Even)
Once both paper strips are glued together into one long piece, don’t start accordion folding right away.
This step is what keeps the heart even and full, instead of ending with one side tighter or smaller than the other.
How to Fold for an Even Rosette Heart
1. Fold the entire long strip in half, matching the ends.
2. Fold it in half again, keeping edges aligned.
3. Fold it one more time (usually three total folds).
You now have a compact stack with perfectly measured sections.
4. Open the paper back up completely.
You’ll see natural fold lines running the length of the strip.
5. Use those fold lines as guides and accordion-fold in between them.
This creates smaller, evenly spaced pleats across the entire piece.
Why This Matters
If you accordion-fold from one end without pre-folding:
• The pleats can shift
• The last section often ends up smaller or tighter
• The heart won’t open evenly
By folding first and then reinforcing the accordion folds, the rosette opens symmetrically, and the heart shape looks balanced on both sides.
Hot glue ends of your pleated paper as shown below
Shape the top edges into a heart by pressing down at the center.
👉 This is where the heart forms naturally . Press down and Secure the Center
Once the heart shape is formed:
Add a small paper strip or circle to the center Glue firmly to hold the shape This also creates the perfect base for embellishment
See video below how you can fold those rosette hearts easy into a cute topiaries
I absolutely love making those rosettes pleated hearts and went a bit crazy with it .. decided to decoupage my copy paper with some napkins to create some colorful ones
how cute is that pleated rosette heart with a book page bow … It sooo romantic and vintage looking
This bow is intentionally simple — no measuring, no complicated loops.
You can watch the full bow tutorial here:
Why this bow works so well:
Soft loops Vintage texture Lightweight (perfect for paper projects) Looks beautiful on hearts, wreaths, garlands, and gifts
Optional center ideas:
Pearl clusters Vintage buttons Rolled paper rosettes Simple twine knots
This is where you can truly make it your own.
Styling Ideas for the Rosette Heart
Hang it solo on a wall or hook Add to a garland with twine Style on candlesticks or risers Use as gift toppers Layer multiple hearts together in neutral tones
Because this heart doesn’t rely on pink or red, it works year-round — not just for Valentine’s Day.
Final Thoughts
Handmade hearts don’t have to be loud or seasonal.
When made from book pages and soft papers, they become timeless — just like the sentiment behind them.
This rosette pleated heart is simple, forgiving, and meant to be enjoyed — not rushed.
If you make one, I’d love to see it.
I absolutely love rosettes .. see HERE how you can turn them easy into a tree
Book Pages are fun to create with .. ..See HERE how you can make super easy angel that can be an ornament or add a scewer for different display
Book pages are soooo fun create with … See how you can create your own vase HERE
