tutorial :: raggedy heart garland :: artsy crafty kids

I have two awesome crafty girls and Chiara truly amazed me on how hard she worked this afternoon. It look like I just purchased a fun fabric choosing heart die-cut machine, because all the shapes were cut out like magic from four little hands.

This project does require the help of a an adult because we used the rotary cutter for cutting strips and the iron  for the paper fusible, but it is a lor of fun using lots of different fabric scraps and lettting the kids choose the placement even if the adult is taking over the fusing.

Materials required to make a little bit raggedy heart garland

paper, cardboard

scissors, pencil

paper fusible

fabric scraps minims size 2"

different beige colored fabrics

 rough string

cutting mat, ruler

rotary cutter, iron (these items should be under an adult's control to keep all fingers safe)

sewing machine

Step 1: Cut a 2" square paper, fold it in half and draw a half a heart shape. Cut it out. Trace the whole heart on cardboard and cut it out to make a template that can be used lots of times.

Step 2: Trace heart on the paper back of the paper fusible. Cut the hearts out leaving a little space around  the line.

Step 3: Pick fun fabric scraps. and let an adult iron the heart shaped fusible onto the wrong side of your colored fabric scraps.

Step 4: Cut the heart along the line out.

Step 5: Now your need to cut out strips in followingn measuremenst out of your beige fabrics. 2.5" x 5" and 2.5" x 8". We used more 5" long strips as 8" long strips, but that is as random as you want and as many as you want. If you use a roatry cutter than this is also an adult's job to keep fingers safe.

Step 6: Fold the strips in half and iron the crease. Take the paper backing off the heart. TIP: Take a needle or the tip of your scissors and scrap the middle of the paper and pull the paper off from the inside towards the outside so you prevent to unravel the edges

Step 7: Place the heart on the folded strip with the open ends pointing down. See placement in the picture in step 6. On a larger strip you can fit two hearts. Iron the hearts onto the fabric. (Adult's help may be required)

Step 8: Choose the flags you want to use for you garland and line them up. Take on at a time, open it and place the strin in between. Close it, pin the bottom exactly on top of each other, so it will stay while you sew. Start on top in the middle and sew straight down to the bottom. DOn't forget to tie it on the bottom and on the top.

Step 9: To give the garland an even more raggedy edge we frayed the edges some more and pulled more threads out on all edges.

Step 10: Now to the hardest part - find a place to hang it up.