A February Full of Hearts – A Book Marker

In high school we learned to make heart shaped paper baskets by weaving two rounded rectangles together. They were a fun little craft that played with geometry. Some time later, I used the same principle with wool to make woven heart ornaments. The internet now tells me these woven paper heart baskets have Danish origins.

While reading The Girl’s Own Toy-Maker, 1860, I saw this illustration (top right) and couldn’t help but notice the similar construction. This book marker is made by weaving two folded rectangles together. The ends of these rectangles are cut with notches or angles rather than a curve. The pocket created slides over the corner of a page. If the book marker was rotated point down, I still see a heart.

Marna found this pen wiper (right) from eleven years later Peterson’s Magazines. The shape is very much that of the paper baskets from high school. This time the wove heart is made of red and black leather, then filled with leaves of double muslin.

To Make Your Own

You need 2 pieces of paper in different colors. Standard printer weight or scrapbook paper work well. Firmer paper is harder to weave. Lighter, delicate paper tears while weaving. Two 8.5×11 sheets of paper can make 4 hearts by dividing each sheet into 4 pieces 8.5″x2.75″.

Fold each piece in half length wise. Round the ends as such:

Take one of each piece folded.

Lay them together, on top or inside each other. Cut strips up from the fold about 2.75″. Cutting a smidgen too far works better than too short.

Starting with the inner most strips, weave them in and out of each other. Note, this is weaving them as loops not just as folded strips.

Continue weaving the loops until finished. Tuck in your book.

Look what a friend found! This exca ple has an 1867 date. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1284976805/antique-woven-paper-heart-friendship

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