A close up of a fir tree, with a red and white Danish flag decoration, and woven coloured heart decorations.

  5 | HOW TO MAKE JULEHJERTER

      Globe Advent         5

With this year’s festive family film Christmas at the (Snow) Globe filled with a sense of hygge (a feeling of cosy contentment and well-being), we’re featuring a few Danish Christmas traditions throughout Globe Advent.

The first being julehjerter – beautiful woven and pleated Christmas hearts (traditionally in the colours of the Danish flag), that are used as decorations during the holiday period. Rumour has it that fairy-tale author Hans Christian Andersen originated the idea, and one of his julehjerter creations can be see in the H.C. Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark.

So how do you make julehjerter? The good news is that they’re quick, simple and easy to make, and can be done whilst watching your favourite Christmas film! Here’s our Props Manager, Katy, to do the honours…

A close up of a woven pink and silver paper heart decoration, hanging on a green fir tree.

Julehjerter are beautiful woven and pleated Danish hearts that are used to decorate Christmas trees during the festive period.

How to make julehjerter

You will need:

A sheet of white paper
A sheet of red paper
(You can use any colour paper you wish, even patterned wrapping paper!)
A pencil
A pair of scissors
A hole punch
A piece of coloured ribbon or string

Method:

Download our printable template in PDF format, and print each page twice – once on a sheet of white paper and once on a sheet of red paper.

(If you don’t have access to a printer, you can copy the shape of the design by hand-drawing onto your paper, using a pencil).

Fold each sheet of paper in half, vertically, along the fold line.

Asking an adult for help, carefully cut around the shapes.

A woman uses scissors to cut a shape out of red paper.

Cut up each line to create a strip. You will cut through the fold to make the strips but don’t cut along the fold line!

A woman uses some scissors to cut a series of lines into a semi-circular shape.

To hide the printed lines of the shape, refold the shapes along the fold line so they appear on the inside.

A woman folds a piece of white paper in half, which has been cut into a semi-circle, and has three slits cut into it.

Now comes the magical weaving part! Start with matching shapes in red and white.

A woman holds a white semi-circular shape and a red semi-circular shape, both with a series of three slits cut into them, up to the camera.

Weave the first strip of the white shape between the layers of the first strip of the red shape.

A woman weaves a white semi-circular shape together with a red semi-circular shape.

Thread the next red strip between the two layers of the white strip that you’re weaving with.

A woman lifts a strip of a white semi-circular shape to weave through a strip on a red semi-circular shape.

Repeat the alternating weaving pattern, switching between white and red strips…

A woman threads a strip of a white semi-circular shape through a strip on a red semi-circular shape.

…until all the strips are woven together. You may need to tighten each row as you go.

A woman shows a completed woven design of red and white paper in the shape of a heart.

Top tip: Make sure you’re always weaving one side between the two layers of the other side, keeping the middle of the basket open.

A woman separates two sides of a woven red and white coloured heart, to create a basket shape in the middle.

To turn your basket heart into a hanging decoration, use a hole punch to create a hole at the top of the heart in the centre.

A wpman uses a hole punch to pierce a hole in the top of a red and white woven heart.

Using a piece of coloured ribbon or string, thread it through the two holes and tie together in a secure knot. The longer the piece of ribbon or string, the more the heart will dangle.

A woman holds a red and white woven heart shape from a piece of black ribbon.

VoilĂ ! There you have your very own julehjerter. Repeat the steps above as many times as you wish to create even more hearts.

You can even fill your julehjerter with sweet tweets (how about some traditional golden chocolate coins?) to surprise your friends and family on the Christmas tree!

A woman holds a red and white woven heart shape from a piece of black ribbon.

CRACKER INSULT

Animated image of a Robin with snow falling

Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat

— Henry V, Act IV scene 4

 

  #GlobeAdvent

Sandi Toksvig dressed in an inflatable snowman outfit, infront of a white snowflake background.

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A plate of homemade mince pies, with golden pastry and a dusting of white frosting, on a red background.

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