Valentine Hearts Fabric Craft
Torn cloth heart-shaped wall hangings for decorations or gifts
With just a little help a child will soon be enthralled making these little hearts as decorations or unique Valentine's Day gifts.
For this craft you will need ;
- wire coat hangers
- wire cutters,
- measuring tape or ruler
- scissors
- fabric scraps of bright colors.
FORM A WIRE HEART: Untwist the hanger and cut off the hook and twisted ends. Now cut the hanger in half. This will form two wire heart frames. Straighten as much as possible with your hands. The section s ahould be about twelve to fourteen inches long.
Fold the wire in half and then curve the ends in to form a heart shape.
At the top center junction of the shape, bend the wire of each end into a hook shape.
Hook the ends together. Squeeze the hooks closed on each other. They should pull on each other so holding the heart in the right shape.
PREPARE THE FABRIC STRIPS: Cut or tear rectangles of fabric into strips about 1 inch wide and eight inches long.
(To tear cloth, lay a block of fabric measuring eight inches long and several inches wide flat. Along the side cut a straight slit in the edge about an inch long. Cut another every inch along the block's side. Now gently tear from the slits until you have a batch of strips each eight inches long.)
START COVERING THE WIRE HEART: Fold a strip of fabric in half. Lay the folded end across the wire at any point. so that it is folded end is toward the inside of the heart. Fold the ends under the wire and pull them back up through the loop of the cloth. Pull both ends tightly, so that a slip knot is formed holding the scrap to the wire.
Continue adding fabric strips until the wire is completely covered.
CHANGE SOME FACTOR TO MAKE EACH HEART UNIQUE: Once you have the wire hearts formed and have learned the basic method of attaching the strips to the wire, you will be able to make each heart a unique piece of art.
- Change the thickness or type of fabric for a fuller, fluffier heart.
- Change or combine colors of material to get different effects.
- Change the lengths of the strips to make the hearts look different.
- Change the length of wire so the heart is larger or smaller.
When you have covered the wire, carefully stretch and pull out on the fabric ends. Trim the ends, if needed.
Add a satin ribbon or colored yarn loop to the top of the heart for hanging. These are a blast to make and friends will love them! They can be hung on the wall, doors or windows as great decorations. They are special Valentines that won't be pitched after February and make nice gifts year round.
