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Pleated Christmas hearts (Danish: Julehjerte) are Danish, Norwegian, and north German crafts, commonly used as Christmas ornaments.

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. Andersen's 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 miniature wicker baskets.

The oldest known guide to making pleated Christmas hearts is found in an 1871 edition of the Danish journal Nordisk Husflidstidende,. The oldest pleated Christmas heart (from 1873) is preserved at the National Museum of Norway, in Oslo. But it was still some 40 years before the pleated Christmas hearts became more widespread.

The oldest depiction of a Christmas tree decorated with pleated hearts dates from 1901 from the Danish manor house Søllestedgaard. That same year, the pleated heart motif was used by Swedish artist Carl Larsson in the lithograph Brita as Idun.

It is believed that Danish 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

1. "Hjerter og glaskugler til jul from history-online.dk". Historie-online.dk (in Danish). Retrieved July 30, 2009.
2. ^ Lea Holtze: Det flettede julehjerte er en dansk juleskik , Danish Bible Society
3. Q187310; Viaf: 4932213; Isni: 0000 0001 1020 2579; Ulan: 500006371; n79106337, LCCN; Nla: 36532500; WorldCat. "File:Carl Larsson Brita as Iduna.jpg - Misplaced Pages". commons.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2022-12-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

• Various Pleated Christmas hearts templates
• Pictorial on making a woven Christmas heart

v t e Hans Christian Andersen
Bibliography
Short story collections	Fairy Tales Told for Children. First Collection. (1835–1837) Fairy Tales Told for Children. New Collection (1838–1841) New Fairy Tales. First Volume (1843–1845)
Short stories	"The Angel" (1843) "Blockhead Hans" (1855) "The Elf Mound" (1845) "The Emperor's New Clothes" (1837) "The Fir-Tree" (1844) "The Flying Trunk" (1839) "The Galoshes of Fortune" (1838) "The Garden of Paradise" (1839) "The Goblin and the Grocer" (1852) "Golden Treasure" (1865) "The Ice-Maiden" (1861) "Little Claus and Big Claus" (1835) "The Little Match Girl" (1845) "The Little Mermaid" (1837) "The Most Incredible Thing" (1870) "The Nightingale" (1843) "Ole Lukoie" (1841) "The Princess and the Pea" (1835) "The Red Shoes" (1845) "The Shadow" (1847) "The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep" (1845) "The Snow Queen" (1844) "The Snowman" (1861) "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" (1838) "The Story of a Mother" (1847) "The Sweethearts; or, The Top and the Ball" (1843) "The Swineherd" (1841) "The Tallow Candle" (1820s) "The Teapot" (1863) "Thumbelina" (1835) "The Tinderbox" (1835) "The Travelling Companion" (1835) "The Ugly Duckling" (1843) "What the Old Man Does is Always Right" (1861) "The Wicked Prince" (1840) "The Wild Swans" (1838)
Novels	The Improvisatore (1835) O.T (1836) The Two Baronesses (1848)
Plays, operas	Little Kirsten (1846) When the Spaniards Were Here (1865)
Poems and songs	Barn Jesus i en krybbe lå Danmark, mit fædreland Hist hvor vejen slår en bugt
Other works	Christine's Picture Book (art book)
Works inspired by Andersen's life and works	Hans Christian Andersen (1952) The Daydreamer (1966) The World of Hans Christian Andersen (1968) Andersen Monogatari (1971) The Fairytaler (2002–2003) Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale (2003 miniseries) Young Andersen (2005 serial)
Related	Hans Christian Andersen Museums Pleated Christmas hearts International Children's Book Day Hans Christian Andersen Award Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award
Category

• Culture of Denmark
• Christmas decorations