At first glance this model looks like two pieces of paper stuck together: a heart, and a tie sitting on top of it. It is not. It is one square, and the trick is simply that the paper has a different color on each side - the heart takes one color, the tie the other.

Seventeen steps is less work than it sounds. Most of them are quick creases, and the only one worth slowing down for is the squash fold that turns a pocket into the tie. Fold one in pink and green, glue it onto a card, and see if anybody guesses it was a single sheet.

Here is how to fold a tie heart from origami paper, explained step by step with photographs.

How to fold a tie heart with origami

A tie heart is a charming little model: a heart-shaped shirt with a necktie folded right onto it.

The folding itself is not difficult - plain creases, one squash fold and a good deal of turning the paper over - so do give it a try.

The finished tie heart

Finished, the model looks like the photo above.

I used paper that is pink on one side and green on the other, so the heart came out pink and the tie green, and the two colors play off each other beautifully.

What color will you choose? Any combination works, so have fun experimenting.

How to fold a tie heart

STEP 1. First, fold the paper into a triangle to make a crease, then open it out again.

STEP 2. Fold the top and bottom edges in toward the center.

STEP 3. Next, fold the top and bottom toward the middle again.

STEP 4. Now unfold everything.

STEP 5. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 6. Next, fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 7. Slip a finger in from the direction of the blue arrow, open the pocket and squash it flat.

STEP 8. It should look like this. This part becomes the tie. Turn the paper over.

STEP 9. Fold it at the fold line.

STEP 10. Fold it along the center line.

STEP 11. Turn the paper over.

STEP 12. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 13. Bring the tie hidden on the inside out to the front.

STEP 14. Turn it over.

STEP 15. Fold it along the dotted line.

STEP 16. Turn this over.

STEP 17. Fold the collar into shape.

Your tie heart is ready!