Free Printable Heart Template

What a Heart Template Is and How It Is Used

A heart template is a printed or traced outline of a heart shape used as a guide for cutting the shape from paper, fabric, felt, foam, cardboard, or other materials. The symmetrical double-lobed shape of a heart is surprisingly difficult to cut freehand, especially in small sizes, because slight variations on one side look obvious against the other. A template removes that problem by giving you a consistent outline to trace or cut along.

Heart templates are used year-round but spike in demand around Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Teachers use printable heart template sheets for classroom craft activities. Parents use them for homemade cards and decorations. Crafters use them as fabric cutting guides for quilts, pillows, and felt projects. A free printable heart template lets you print as many copies as you need in the exact size required for your project.

• Provides a symmetrical heart outline that is difficult to achieve freehand
• Used for paper crafts, greeting cards, classroom art, and holiday decorations
• Works as a tracing guide for fabric, felt, foam, cardboard, and thin wood
• Available in multiple sizes from mini embellishments to large poster-size hearts
• Popular for Valentine's Day cards, Mother's Day projects, and classroom activities

Heart Template Sizes and When to Use Each

The right heart template size depends entirely on the project. A large heart on a full letter-size sheet (about 8 inches wide) is the right size for a Valentine's Day card that fills the page, a classroom bulletin board display, or a gift bag decoration. A medium heart (about 4 to 5 inches) works for gift tags, small cards, and ornaments. Small hearts (1 to 2 inches) are perfect for confetti, garland, and embellishment details on larger projects.

For quilting and fabric projects, heart templates are usually printed slightly larger than the finished size to account for seam allowances. A standard seam allowance of 1/4 inch means printing a heart that is 1/2 inch wider and taller than the desired finished size. Trace the printed template onto fabric with a fabric marker, cut along the outer line which includes the seam allowance, and sew along the original template line.

• Large (7-8 inches): Valentine's Day cards, bulletin board displays, large gift decorations
• Medium (4-5 inches): greeting cards, gift tags, framed art, and party decorations
• Small (2-3 inches): garland, wreaths, bookmarks, and small embellishments
• Mini (under 1 inch): confetti, scrapbook details, and tiny card decorations
• Quilting hearts: add 1/2 inch to desired finished size to account for seam allowances

How to Make and Use a Heart Template

The folded paper method described in the template above is the fastest way to get a perfectly symmetrical heart without any drawing tools. Fold any piece of paper in half, draw one half of the heart shape (a bump at the top, tapering to a point at the bottom at the fold), cut through both layers, and unfold to get a perfect heart. The fold acts as the center line of the heart so both sides are always identical.

For a sturdier template that you can reuse many times, trace the heart shape onto cardstock or cardboard and cut it out. Use this thicker template as a stencil by placing it on your material (fabric, foam, or paper) and tracing around the outside edge with a pencil or fabric marker. The cardstock template holds its shape through many tracings, which is especially useful for classroom sets where you need dozens of identical hearts.

1. Fold a sheet of paper in half vertically and crease the fold firmly
2. Draw half a heart against the fold: start at the top with a rounded bump, curve down, and end at a point at the bottom where the fold is
3. Cut through both layers along the drawn line, keeping the fold intact until you finish cutting
4. Unfold the paper to reveal a symmetrical heart
5. For a reusable template, trace this heart onto cardstock and cut it out to use as a stencil
6. Place the stencil on your material (paper, fabric, felt, or foam) and trace around the edge
7. Cut along the traced line and use the heart shape in your project

Heart Template for Valentine's Day Cards and Crafts

A heart template printable is most commonly used in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day. For classroom Valentine exchanges, printing a sheet of medium-size heart outlines that students can cut, color, and write on is a straightforward activity for all ages. Younger children practice cutting skills; older students can layer hearts in different sizes and colors for more complex cards.

For homemade Valentine's Day cards, cut a large heart from red or pink cardstock using the template, fold it in half as the card itself, and write a message inside. Layering a slightly smaller white heart on top of a red heart creates a classic two-tone look. For a garland, cut ten to twenty small hearts from construction paper, punch a hole at the top of each, and string them on twine or ribbon spaced evenly apart. A heart template printable free of charge lets you print as many as you need without worrying about cost.

• Classroom Valentine cards: print heart outlines for students to cut, color, and sign
• Layered heart cards: cut a red heart and a slightly smaller white heart and glue them together
• Heart garland: cut 15-20 small hearts, punch holes, and string on twine
• Gift wrapping decoration: glue a large heart to plain wrapping paper as a focal design element
• Love coupons: write a message on a small heart and give as a gift

Heart Template for Fabric, Felt, and Quilting Projects

A printable heart template is as useful in fabric crafts as it is in paper crafts. For felt projects like ornaments, pillows, or bookmarks, print the template at the desired finished size, cut it from cardstock, and trace onto the felt with a chalk marker or fabric pencil. Felt does not fray, so no seam allowance is needed and the cut edge can be left raw or blanket-stitched for a decorative finish.

For quilting, a heart template works well for applique projects where the heart shape is cut from one fabric and sewn onto a background. Print the heart template printable at the desired finished size, add 1/4 inch seam allowance all around when cutting the fabric, and either hand-stitch or machine-stitch the applique in place. Heart-shaped pot holders, coasters, and table runners are all achievable with a basic heart template and simple sewing skills.

• Felt heart ornament: cut two matching hearts, sew with a blanket stitch leaving an opening, stuff lightly, and close
• Heart applique: add 1/4 inch seam allowance, turn edges under, and stitch onto a background fabric
• Fabric bookmark: cut a long rectangle and a small heart, sew the heart to one end
• Patchwork quilt block: cut multiple hearts from different fabric prints and arrange into a pattern
• Pot holder: cut two layers of heat-resistant batting and two fabric layers in a heart shape and quilt together

Heart Template Uses for Classroom and Kids' Crafts

Beyond Valentine's Day, a printable heart template has a wide range of classroom and kids' craft applications. In pre-K and kindergarten, cutting heart shapes along a printed outline builds fine motor skills and scissor control. Teachers can print whole sheets of heart outlines at various sizes for a fine motor cutting center that students work through at their own pace.

For older students, hearts work as the base for expressive art projects: a collage where students fill a large heart outline with images or words that represent things they love, or a layered art project where hearts in diminishing sizes are stacked and glued to create a 3D effect. Heart templates also print beautifully as wrapping paper stamps (cut the heart from foam, glue to a block, and stamp with paint) or as stencils for chalk drawings on sidewalks and playgrounds.

• Fine motor practice: print heart outlines for pre-K students to cut and build scissor skills
• Love collage: fill a large heart outline with images or words representing things you love
• Layered heart art: stack five hearts in decreasing sizes, glue centers together for a 3D flower effect
• Foam stamp: cut the template from craft foam, glue to a wooden block, and use with paint
• Chalk stencil: hold the cardstock template on pavement and fill with sidewalk chalk