Love Knot

This Origami Love Knot and Lovers’ Knot are two different origami models. Their names are used interchangeably but they are folded completely differently from one another. But their purpose is the same: it is a way to fold the paper to prevent other people from reading the message within.

Along time ago, people didn’t have envelopes, tape or glue. So whenever you wrote a message and asked for it to be delivered (by messenger), there is a possibility that someone could intercept the message and read it. To prevent this, you could seal the letter with wax and then impress a family emblem on the wax while it is still hot. A person would have to break the seal to read the message. Since they do not have the emblem, they could not seal the message back to its original form. The recipient would know that the message had been tampered with en route.

In the old days, not everyone had enough money for sealing wax nor did they own a family emblem. Another way to seal a letter is to fold it in a complicated manner so whoever opened it would not be able to fold it back to its original shape.

This Love Knot fold is such an example; however, it is an easy model to fold and recreate. As such this fold is often used when sending out invitations or everyday messages. The knotting of the paper allows it to be compact, somewhat private, and it saves on envelopes. Plus, it’s cute; it attracts more attention than a standard tri-fold letter.

Instructions for Origami Love Knot

Step 1: The paper used here is square, but it will work with a rectangle too. Fold the paper in half so the message cannot be seen.

Fold in half again and keep folding in half until you have a narrow strip. The dimensions should be 1:8 (one inch wide to eight inches long) or longer. The paper needs to be long enough to wrap around itself.

For a square, fold it into eights.

Step 2: Fold in half crosswise. Unfold. This shows where the middle of the paper is.

Step 3: Fold down the right side of the paper. Make the fold so it passes the middle of the crease made above.

Step 4: Fold the left side of the paper behind and under (mountain fold) as shown.

Step 5: Fold the right arm of the paper towards the left.

Step 6: Switch the position of the paper: move the top arm to the bottom and the bottom arm to the top. This locks the model so it doesn’t unravel.

Step 7: If you want, you can write something on the arm so people know who it is for.