Felted Hearts

Blog 44

It is already November, and thus, it is time to think about making handmade gifts for your loved ones for Christmas. During the next four weeks, I will give you some suggestions for easy holidays projects. As with all arts and crafts projects, it is up to you to take the basic project idea and to make it special and unique according to your own personality and skills.

This week, I will describe to you how I created my felt hearts decorated with a poinsettia flower.

First, here is a list of the materials:

• Toy stuffing material
• Sheets of felt in light and dark green and red
• Wool rovings, yellow felt or small buttons
• Embroidery thread
• Small piece of foam sheet (optional, for felting)
• Felting needle (optional)
• Needles and scissors

How to create the heart:

1. You can either create a template for your heart or fold a piece of felt in half and then cut out half a heart; this way your heart is symmetrical. Then place the heart on a second sheet of felt, take a pencil that is visible on your felt or a marker and trace the heart to the second sheet of felt. You could also pin it with needles to the second sheet of felt. Then cut an identical heart as a backing.
2. Cut an odd number of smaller and bigger petals for the flower.
3. Cut any number of leaves.
4. Sew the petals and leaves to the upper heart. If you have felting needles you can also attach the leaves and petals with a felting needle.
5. Add veins to the petals and leaves either with embroidery thread or by felting with small wool rovings.
6. Attach little buttons for the inside of the flower or felt little yellow circles for the inside of the flower.
7. Put the two hearts on top of each other and start to attach the two hearts with a whip stitch. Before the heart is completely closed add the toy stuffing to fill the heart. Then continue to sew the heart together.

I hope you will have fun creating your own hearts. Depending on the size, they make lovely ornaments for the Christmas tree or can be hung on a door or in front of a window. If you follow my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KerstinPetersPaintings/, you will be able to see a video of me creating one of the hearts next Thursday, November 8, 2018.