How to Draw a Heart Locket: Easy 10-Step Guide

This heart locket tutorial is perfect for young artists ages 6+ looking to practice symmetry and decorative detail. You will only need a pencil, an eraser, and your favorite coloring markers or pencils. Follow along to create a charming, vintage-style locket that looks like it holds a special secret.

10 Steps

🎯 Final Result

A beautifully colored, finished heart locket drawing with a matching key.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Sketching the Heart Base

Pencil sketch showing two nested heart shapes forming the outline of a locket.

Begin by drawing two hearts, one slightly smaller inside the other, sharing the same side. Teacher's Tip: Keep your pencil lines very light here; this is your foundation, and you'll want to erase the inner lines later to make it look like a solid piece of jewelry.

Step 2: Adding the Lock Mechanism

Drawing of a heart locket with a hinge loop on top and a keyhole in the center.

Add a rainbow-shaped loop on top to represent the hinge, and sketch a keyhole in the center using a small circle and a triangle. Teacher's Tip: Use a steady hand for the keyhole—if it's a bit wobbly, don't worry, real antique lockets often have unique, handmade character!

Step 3: Designing the Filigree

Adding decorative filigree swirls around the central keyhole of the heart locket.

Draw swirling, lacy patterns around the keyhole. Teacher's Tip: Think of these as vines or ribbons. Keep your curves smooth and let them meet at sharp points to give your locket an elegant, professional look.

Step 4: Adding Decorative Accents

Adding small geometric shapes like circles and crescents to decorate the locket face.

Fill the remaining space on the heart face with small circles, ovals, and crescent shapes. Teacher's Tip: Varying the sizes of these shapes creates visual interest and makes the locket look like it's encrusted with tiny jewels.

Step 5: Creating the Key

Drawing the shaft of a key next to the locket to add a sense of mystery.

Give the keyhole depth with small parallel lines, then sketch a long cylinder shape nearby to start the key. Teacher's Tip: Use a ruler if you struggle with straight lines, but try freehand first to build your muscle memory!

Step 6: Shaping the Key Head

Adding a decorative, spade-like head to the key drawing.

Use 'U' shaped lines to create a decorative spade or flower shape at the top of your key. Teacher's Tip: Overlapping your lines slightly helps create a 3D effect, making the key look solid rather than flat.

Step 7: Refining the Key

Adding the locking mechanism to the key using curved lines.

Add a 'C' shaped locking mechanism to the key. Teacher's Tip: Focus on the curves here; smooth, rounded lines make the metal look polished and shiny.

Step 8: Adding Detail to the Key

Adding a small heart detail to the head of the key.

Draw a small heart on the key head and add more curved lines for dimension. Teacher's Tip: Consistency is key! If you added details to the locket, make sure the key matches that same style.

Step 9: Final Touches

Finalizing the key design with extra decorative shapes and shading lines.

Add final crescent moon shapes and shading lines to the key to complete the look. Teacher's Tip: Darken your final outlines with a firmer pencil stroke to make the drawing pop before you start coloring.

Step 10: Bring It to Life with Color

Finished, colored drawing of a heart locket and key in golden crimson tones.

Color your locket with rich, bold shades. Teacher's Tip: Use lighter colors in the center of the shapes and darker colors near the edges to create a realistic metallic shine!