Pleated Christmas hearts

Various pleated Christmas hearts

Pleated Christmas hearts (Danish: Julehjerte) are a Danish and north German crafts, commonly used as Christmas ornaments.^[1]

History

The exact age and origin of the tradition of making paper hearts is unknown, but the oldest known pleated Christmas hearts were made by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen in 1860. However, as Andersen's heart has no handle, it seems unlikely it could have been used as a Christmas tree ornament. That pleated heart is today located in the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in the city of Odense in Denmark. It is documented, however, that Andersen did make decorations for Christmas trees, and that the predecessors of the pleated Christmas hearts were made from wicker baskets.

The oldest known guide to making pleated Christmas hearts is found in the Official Nordic handicraft Journal (1871),, and the oldest pleated Christmas heart (from 1873) is preserved at the National Museum of Denmark, in Copenhagen. But it was still some 40 years before the pleated Christmas hearts became more widespread.

It is believed that kindergartens from around 1910 started spreading the use of the pleated Christmas hearts, which were made from glossy paper in order to enhance the children's creative abilities, patience, and fine motor skills.

Pleated books

• The first pleated Christmas book, Julehjerter (1975), was released by the Lottrup Knudsen brothers.
• A more recent book (2002) which includes a big variety of pleated Christmas heart templates, is Francis Jordt's Flettede julehjerter(https://bibliotek.kk.dk/ting/object/870970-basis%3A24272486)

References

External links

• Various Pleated Christmas hearts templates

Hans Christian Andersen
Bibliography
Collections	Fairy Tales Told for Children (1835–1837) Fairy Tales Told for Children (1838) New Fairy Tales (1843/44)
Stories	"The Angel" "The Elf Mound" "The Emperor's New Clothes" "The Fir-Tree" "The Flying Trunk" "The Galoshes of Fortune" "The Garden of Paradise" "The Goblin and the Grocer" "Golden Treasure" "The Ice-Maiden" "The Little Match Girl" "The Little Mermaid" "The Most Incredible Thing" "The Nightingale" "Ole Lukøje" "The Princess and the Pea" "The Red Shoes" "The Shadow" "The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep" "The Snow Queen" "The Snowman" "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" "The Story of a Mother" "The Sweethearts; or, The Top and the Ball" "The Swineherd" "The Tallow Candle" "The Teapot" "Thumbelina" "The Tinderbox" "The Ugly Duckling" "The Wild Swans"
Novels	The Improvisatore (1835) The Two Baronesses (1848)
Films	Hans Christian Andersen (1952) The Daydreamer (1966) Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale (2001 miniseries)
Related	Hans Christian Andersen Museum Pleated Christmas hearts International Children's Book Day Hans Christian Andersen Award Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award
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