One year I gathered some friends together for a Sew Day at my house and we each made a cute Heart Garland for Valentine's day. It's easy to make and very beginner friendly. Maybe you want to gather your friends together for a Sew Day and make a Valentine Heart Garland too...
How to Make a Valentine Heart Garland
For this project you'll need
- 1/2 yard of fabric for the "flags" (makes 8 flags)
- scraps of felt for the hearts, pink or red or both
- yarn and a safety pin for stringing
- Printed HEART GARLAND TEMPLATE (click to download)
Cutting the Valentine Heart Garland pieces
1. Cut 2 pieces of fabric using the Heart Garland Template for every "flag" you are making. If you keep your fabric folded in half you can cut 2 out at a time.
You can use a rotary cutter/ruler/mat to cut around the template or put something on the template to weigh it down while you cut the fabric with scissors (paper weight, table knives, etc).
2. Cut 1 heart out of felt for each flag. The EASY way to cut out an exact heart shape is by using painter's tape circles to hold the template to the felt and then cut right around it. I don't ever have luck tracing the shape onto the felt with a pen or sharpie.
Sewing the Valentine Heart Garland
1. Place 2 flag pieces together with the RIGHT sides of the fabric facing each other. The RIGHT side is the pretty printed side. Pin them together.
2. Sew around the flag using about a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Keep the needle down as you pivot and turn the corners. Leave about a 2 inch opening in the top side of the flag.
3. Trim off all of the corners. Be careful not to get too close to the stitching.
4. Turn the flag right side out. Push out the seams and corners, tuck the seam allowance into the opening, and press it flat.
5. Fold the top seam of the flag toward the back about 5/8" and press. Topstitch along the edge to create a casing.
6. Pin the heart shape to the flag with the bottom point of the heart about 7/8 inch from the bottom point of the flag.
7. Topstitch all the way around the outer edge of the heart. Go slow along the curves taking just a couple of stitches at a time. Keep the needle in the down position and lift your presser foot to pivot and turn as needed.
8. Repeat for all the flags.
9. Cut 3 strands of yarn about 4-5 inches longer that your desired finished length. Braiding and knots eat up some of the length. I started with 34 inches and my finished braided string measured about 30 inches. To make braiding easier tie a knot in the strands and pin the knot to an old pillow (or in this case, the edge of an ironing board) with a safety pin to hold it in place while you braid it.
10. Thread the braided string through the casing of each flag. And you are done!
How to Hang the Valentine Heart Garland
I find that the best way to hang anything light weight on my walls is to use a sewing pin. It sounds silly but you can easily push a sewing pin through most drywall walls. The hole it leaves when you pull it out is so small that you almost can't see it. You won't have to paint it either. The paint will just fill it in the next time you paint your wall. Hang it in a little corner over a vignette.
You can hang it over a mirror or at the top of a door
Anywhere you hang it, it will sure look cute and make you smile. Let me know if you enjoyed this sewing tutorial. If you make a Heart Garland I'd love to see it!! Connect with me on Facebook or Instagram. Tag me @bluesusanmakes!
