My childhood Christmas memories came flooding back with this Danish woven Christmas Heart craft. They make adorable handcrafted ornaments and they are fun way to give a gift card.

Woven Danish Christmas Heart Craft

Christmas is about upholding and creating traditions. Every year families bring out ornaments and decorations that have been with them for years, possibly even generations. There are certain iconic images that in an instant will take us back in time.

For me, it is the woven Danish Christmas heart that brings the scent of a freshly cut spruce, gingerbread cookies, and an overall feeling of “hygge”. When I see the Danish Christmas heart, I am a little girl with pigtails and big front teeth in the 1980s. Our Christmas tree is decorated with the traditional Danish flags and the red and white or green and white Christmas hearts. The Danish Christmas hearts are filled with nuts and small gingerbread cookies, and I am anxiously awaiting a visit from Santa Claus, or Julemanden, as we call him in Denmark.

I am SO excited to share this DIY Danish Christmas heart craft with you!

(This post was originally published in November 2015. It was updated for accuracy July 2020.)

This year I decided to bring back the tradition of making the Danish Christmas hearts. Instead of using glossy paper, as they do in Denmark, I decided to use felt, which makes them more durable. Felt Christmas hearts are an adorable way to give gift cards to teachers, friends, and loved ones.

They are surprisingly easy to make, once you get a hang of it. When you get started, keep in mind that these Christmas hearts are made every year, all over Danish schools… they are truly part of a national Christmas tradition.

 

What do I need to make Christmas hearts?

• • Woven heart template, click for free download
  • Scissors
  • Felt in assorted colors
  • Felt glue

How do I weave Danish hearts?

1. I like to use the traditional Danish Christmas colors of white, red and green. But feel free to make your own color combinations.
2. Download, print and cut out this template. You will only need one copy to make several hearts.
3. Fold a piece of felt as seen. I ironed the felt to make a sharp crease. Place the paper template on top of the felt with the crease along the straight bottom edge.
4. Cut two pieces in different colors. Be sure to use the same template on both pieces so you know they are the same size. Cut a 1/2” strip in either of the two colors, this will become the handle.
5. Start weaving: insert the red in between the folded white and then insert the white in between the folded red.
6. Lastly, insert the red in between the folded white. This completes the first of three rows.
7. Start the second row by inserting the white in between the red, then the red in between the white and finish the second row by inserting the white in between the red.
8. Finish the last row by repeating steps 5 and 6. Keep in mind that you are weaving.
9. Fold the 1/2” strip of felt in half. Put felt glue on the outside of the tip of the strip and insert it inside the heart. Let it dry for a few hours.

You can easily make the hearts larger or smaller by changing the size of the woven heart template on a photocopier.

I can’t wait to share this craft with the kids, continuing my childhood tradition of decorating the tree with homemade ornaments.

What tradition do you plan on sharing with your children this year?