It’s the time of year once again when the days get a little longer, the spring flowers begin to emerge and my thoughts turn to celebrating Valentine’s Day. I’m not sure I am a hopeless romantic all year round, but I do like to make February 14th special for my loved ones.

I’ve been looking for a Valentine’s craft; something I haven’t tried before. Dainty string hearts caught my eye on Pinterest. They’re quick to make with no mess – perfect for getting the boys involved too. On Day 30 of #100DaysNoTV, we tried some Valentine’s needlecraft.

There are many ways to adapt the design of these hearts, and below are instructions for our interpretation of the craft. We used foam sheets cut to A6 size and the final hearts were approximately 8cm x 6cm. The beauty of this craft is that you can adapt it however you like! 🙂

what you will need

Foam sheets (card works just as well)
Flat heart shape/stencil
Pencil
Drawing pin (or anything that will pierce small holes)
Large sewing needle
Coloured string
Small beads for decoration

how to do it

Step 1: Place your heart shape in the centre of your foam or card base and draw around it.
Step 2: Using your drawing pin, or other tool, pierce small holes around the edge of the heart shape you’ve just drawn. How many holes is entirely up to you! (Best not to do this part straight onto your favourite table! I used a craft cutting mat, but a chopping board would work too.)
Step 3: Take your needle and push it through each hole so that they’re more defined. (If you’re doing this craft with a young child it’s worth noting that you can get plastic needles very cheaply from many online sites.)
Step 4: Choose your string, estimate the length you’ll need (never easy) and start sewing! You could sew the outline of your heart, make a cross-cross pattern, or go freestyle; use one colour or multiple. Possibilities are endless!
Step 5: Conceal the back – which will be a bit untidy – by sticking another piece of foam or card over the top. Entirely optional step: really depends on what you wish to do with the heart. Ideas below!

Ollie was keen to have a go – he enjoys trying new crafts. I think he made a good job of it! Look at the concentration. We had a plastic needle from one of his craft sets, so there was no danger of him hurting himself. I did the prep for him; mainly because I knew it would be a *lot* quicker, and also his attention span for the ‘boring bits’ is sometimes lacking. 😉

get creative

You can design your hearts however you fancy. They might be large or small; use string, wool or even ribbon; the pattern can be basic or intricate; you could add little extras like beads or sequins. Go nuts!

You may already have an idea of how you would make use of your heart. We had a few ideas. What would you use yours for?

You could attach your heart to a piece of folded card for a unique Valentine’s card.
It could be made into a gift tag. (You’d need to neaten it up with step 5 above.)
Perhaps attach to the front of a plain notepad for a stationery lover.
Or, brighten up the lid of a craft box.
How about choosing a nice frame to display it.

Do you like to make homemade gifts? I’d love to see your creations. 🙂

Bye for now!