Fabric Valentine Heart Decor Tutorial

This is a really simple tutorial for making some cute fabric heart decorations for Valentine's Day -- or ANY day. Start with some fabric, any color -- you can buy some fat quarters or use scraps you have laying around. For the backing fabric I used inexpensive coordinating fabric that I already had in my stash. I cut a piece of the back fabric (about 16 X 24 inches) and ironed on some "Wonder Under". Wonder Under is used to glue the two fabrics together. Put the rough side of the Wonder Under on the wrong side of your backing fabric.

A really important step here is to follow the directions for the Wonder Under and "iron the heck out of it" -- my translation of the directions. Seriously, press the iron in one place for 5-8 seconds and then move on, overlapping your pressings. When the paper side of the Wonder Under is firmly attached and looks a little wrinkly like above, then you know you have done it right. Let the fabric cool a little and then begin peeling off the paper. The glue should stick to the fabric -- if not, iron some more.


Then arrange your face fabrics over the glue side of the backing fabric and press some more. If you are using scraps of cloth, be sure to use a pressing cloth (or another piece of scrap) to put over any gaps in the top fabric so you don't get glue on your iron. Press as directed above until the two fabrics are firmly fused together. I repressed the back side to iron out any wrinkles or bubbles.

Now the fun begins.
I used nesting heart-shaped cookie cutters for my tracing pattern.

I traced on the back side of the fused fabrics because it was easier,
and also so that I wouldn't have any tracing lines on the front of the hearts.

Some of the hearts I cut out with pinking shears,
some with regular scissors.

I then arranged the hearts over a satin ribbon, pinned them in place, and zig-zagged them onto the ribbon with my sewing machine.

Ta-da! Easy peasy. Hang the heart garland from a mirror
or a mantel as above. Simple and pretty.

Some of the other hearts I punched holes in and hung from narrower ribbon.

Then I went outside and cut some branches from one of the dormant trees in the front yard, arranged them in a pitcher, and hung the hearts from the branches. Instant seasonal decor for my buffet.