Hand Crafted Hearts

Print this graphic to paste on your hand made paper hearts.

Today I would like to share how you can make some hearts using simple materials without having to buy scrapbook embellishments.

This is table scatter made by cutting hearts from white construction paper. They will all be different and they look good with the paper doilies.

These paper doilies have become harder to find, and more expensive in just the last week. Also, there are only 6 of the smaller doilies in the package, so it  makes more sense to use construction paper. If you are not familiar with hand making hearts, here is a pictorial instruction section you can follow.

Select the color of paper you like from the children's construction paper, or just use your printer paper. Fold it in half the long way and tear it off. Construction paper tears easily and straight if the fold is good.  Then take each half and fold it and tear it in half again. You will have four strips of paper like this.

Fold each strip in half the long way.

Draw small, medium and large half-hearts on the fold, as you see on the paper above.

Cut each one out, on the fold.

This is what they look like. Don't worry about the fold in the middle of the hearts, as they are supposed to look that way and it makes them more interesting, as they pop up a little.  You can use the piece of paper with the heart holes in it for another project, by gluing it on to a piece of contrasting paper. It might make a card or some kind of banner. This white one would look good with pink in the centers. All that is necessary is to cut a piece the same size and glue it underneath the open hearts.

I interspersed the store-bought doily hearts with the hand made heart scatter.

Now here is a way to make heart doilies yourself.

First cut out a heart on folded paper.

Open it up.

Cut around the heart with deckle-edge scissors; the kind that have shaped blades.

Fold the paper again and cut out a heart from the center if you like. Save it for now. Using a hole puncher, make holes around the edges, so that it looks like the lace doily you buy at the store. Glue your lace heart on to the pink construction paper, and cut it out again, cutting around the scalloped edges to make another lacy edge, Cut a fourth to half inch larger than the white doily, to make the pink paper show around the edge.

This next one is a way to make a lace heart if you do not have fancy scissors (which actually can be found at the dollar store) or a hole puncher.

Cut out a heart. Fold it in half and then fold the top and ends toward each other.  Cut shapes of hearts and diamonds all around the edges and the folds. Save the pieces that fall from the cutting.

Glue it on a contrasting color, and cut out again, leaving a border of the pink and cutting it to follow the pattern around the edges of the white heart.

For the one on the left, cut smaller hearts of graduated sizes to put in the middle. For the one on the right, glue  smaller paper hearts, on the folded sides in various places.  Click on for a larger view.

Glue some cut out hearts on their sides, to the Valentine. Cut out a paper hanger to paste to the back if you like.

If you print out the graphic at the top on card stock you can cut it out and glue it to the middle of the white heart.

Find more free, printable clip art here.

Free nature clip art here 

Free Victorian printable clip art to place in your hand made hearts can be found here.

Scrap Heart Cards

On a Sunny Day II by Fasani

Artprint from Allposters

Indoor projects can brighten the mood and lighten the load of housework.  I always look forward to getting out some bright materials and creating something with them.  Here you see a collection of heart-shaped cards made using paper doilies.  Outlines on the doilies are drawn with puff paints and glitter paints. You should be able to click on for a larger view, which really shows the brightness and the details. To save to your files, I think you have to click on first to enlarge, and then click "save."   The butterfly comes in a package of 3, in several colors, from Dollar Tree craft section.

A heart is cut from a decorative paper napkin and ironed on with saran wrap, to the doily in the center. Try using floral scrapbook papers for a similar effect.

First, glue the paper lace heart doilies to a cardstock backing of a contrasting color so that it shows through the lace.  After that, add a picture from a card, or some free Victorian printable cardstock images which you can find online. Use the picture as your center theme and then place the smaller pieces around it, being careful to use colors and shapes that enhance the image and make it stand out in a pleasing way.  If you do not have a key, you can always find a printed page of keys on scrapbook paper and cut one out, or, you can just trace around a key on some glitter paper, and cut one out of your own.

 Foam heart stickers are usually available at the dollar store, as well as stickers, novelty brads, diamond stickers, and other scrapbook and card-making novelties you see here. You can use things you already have in your collection of paper things, or you can get very reasonably priced things at JoAnns, Michaels and Dollar Tree. 

 If you do not have cardstock to glue the doily on to make a firm backing, try pink, white, red or black construction paper, which looks great if it is a contrasting color to the paper lace hearts.

These cards are not double-folded, but you can add a rubber-stamped or hand-written greeting on the other side.  If they are to be mailed, they should be sent in a padded envelope and weighed at the post office before adding postage. Ribbon or string can be glued between the layers before putting the doily on the cardstock,  to make hanging hearts.

I think it is important, especially on overcast days, to make something cheerful to keep or give away. I'm keeping these and future creations in a basket on the seat by the front door to give away to anyone who drops by and wants one.

Easy Valentines

These paper hearts consisting of only cardstock, paper and clip-art from old cards take very little time. They are only one layer and the greeting is written on the other side. They look as though the roses are printed straight on the card, but they are cut out and glued on with ordinary glue. Click on for a more detailed view.

This has to be my favorite, made with a piece clipped from an old card. Cardstock, on which it is  glued, can be cut with any kinds of scissors, including children's scissors.

No, this is my favorite. It is just a little card on a white background, glued on.

The large rose has been cut out of a scrapbook paper, and the handle for hanging comes from a scrap left after cutting the shaped edging. Just two pieces, plus a dot of liquid paper-glitter, makes this very easy.

The pattern for these hearts are in the previous post. You can also use fabric to decorate with, by tracing around your card template, cutting it out with fabric scissors, and applying the cloth shape to the cardstock heart with a glue-stick. The liquid glue does not work as well with fabric-on-cardstock as well as the office glue stick. I've used a punch to make holes to insert ribbon for hanging.

I have changed my mind about my favorite, for I believe the above is really my favorite, and it is very simple. Just cut the edges with deckle scissors (sometimes available at dollar stores and discount stores), then cut out a piece of clip art with scissors that will cut details, glue on, add liquid glitter, and there you have it. Please be sure to click on for a larger view. This one is cut of cardstock, like the others.

You can either clip out the rose in detail, or leave it as is and apply to the card as you see above.

These are all made with red construction paper and they look great on a plate for a centerpiece at a table. A slightly smaller white heart, the same shape has been put inside the large heart, and then a picture of a rose put in the middle. The one on the right has a glittered foam heart, applied with white liquid glue.  The clip-art is all applied with Elmer's liquid school glue. The only card that uses the sticky glue stick is the fabric one. I found the liquid white glue to work better with this kind of simple project, but it only needs a tiny bit outlining the piece, and then pressed firmly with your fingers.  These pretty hearts fit inside the long business style white envelopes.

Some of the clip art is available on Victorian clip art sites.