Embroidered Felt Heart Tutorial

What better way to tell someone they have your heart than by giving it to them?

These easy to make embroidered felt hearts can be personalized to suit your Valentine.

Whether you want to give them the key to your heart, a sweet sentiment of XOXO or Cupid's arrow, the possibilities are endless.

To make your own embroidered felt hearts:

Cut two hearts out of felt.  I used pinking shears to give the edges of my hearts more of a design flair.  Embellish the front of the heart with a design of your choice.  Embellish your design through embroidery or by adding buttons.

Secure the front of your heart to the back of your heart by doing a simple running stitch around the boarder.

Attach a pin to the back of your heart and it becomes a brooch.

Whether you get detailed in your embroidery...

or chose a simple design...

these embroidered felt hearts will have your Valentine mooning over them.

DIY Embroidered Handwriting Keepsake

Turn your child's handwriting into an embroidered keepsake.  Those carefully written letters should be preserved and displayed.  A simple and easy way to do that, with embroidery thread.

To create your embroidered keepsake you'll need the following:  fabric, embroidery hoop, water soluble pen, needle and thread.

Enlist your artist of choice to write something onto your fabric.

Center the written sentiment in your embroidery hoop.

Begin embroidering. I used a back stitch for the letters.

To back stitch bring your needle and thread up through the back of the fabric.  I started at the top of the L.  Sew a long stitch forward, bring your needle down.  Return your needle back up, leaving space, approximately the same size as your first stitch.  Return your needle back down, where your first completely stitch ended.  Repeat.

At the end of love, I decided to punctuated it with a heart.  

 

Love should always come from the heart.

 Love was the first word Grace learned to spell. 

Love is what this sweet child of mine shows me every single day.

Love, written by a 5 year old, will be a keepsake I hold dear for always.

Valentine's Decorating

I happen to be one of those people that decorate for Valentine's Day. 

February can be a gray, dreary, cold month in the Midwest.  Valentine's Day gives me an excuse to add some happy, cheery bright colors, flowers and a heart or two to my decor and, in turn, it brightens my mood.

An easy and inexpensive way to change up decor is with pillows.

I whipped up some pillows, in less than an hour.  Using some heat transfer vinyl I customized each with LOVE and a heart.

And, those pillows are getting love...

From the dog.  Sigh.

Valentine's Day and flowers (ok, and probably chocolate) go hand in hand.

I've become a sucker for the $3.99 bouquet of roses at Aldi.  Such an inexpensive way to add some color and a good reminder that spring will eventually return.

I'm slightly obsessed with all things letter related.  I went through my collection of letters and was inspired to add an XO (hugs and kisses) for another subtle Valentine's touch.

Rustic coasters are scattered about. 

Herman, the head that usually wears my eye glasses, is donning a heart shaped eye patch...he obviously doesn't mind making a spectacle of himself for the sake of Valentine's.

Not only do I decorate the house...but I also make sure that Grace gets 'decorated'.  She has lots of heart sweaters and pretty hair accessories to wear.

Which reminds me, I need to make sure she has a chance to show off her LOVE dress before Valentine's day.

 And, though I wish this weren't the case, our front yard is still decorated with some ice cold hearts. 

Here's hoping we get some warmer weather soon and those cold hearts melt.

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day?

Valentine Felt Heart Straw Embelishment or Pencil Topper

It's almost Valentine's Day...That means, you have an excuse for adding hearts to things like paper straws.

What's better than showing your Valentine you love them than sharing some ice cold milk and a cupcake?  Sticking a paper straw in that ice cold milk with a felt heart reminder that you 'heart' them.

This quick and easy felt heart can be made in a few simple steps.

You'll need:

Start by cutting out your hearts.  You'll need two hearts a piece, preferably the same color.

Using your needle and thread, do a running stitch to secure the front of the heart to the back of the hear.  You'll need to leave a portion of the top and bottom of the heart unsewn for the straw to fit through.  When you get to very top and very bottom of the heart, instead of doing the running stitch through both layers of hearts, simply go through only the top layer, leaving a hole or pocket for your straw. 

If you'd rather not 'sew', secure the hearts together with tacky glue instead.

Slip it onto a pretty paper straw and sip with love.

Your heart could also be used as a pencil topper.  The perfect inspiration for all your love letter writing.

Inspired to go make one of your own?

Or maybe you now want to go drink some ice cold milk and eat a cupcake...that's OK too.

Rustic Love Coasters Tutorial

I love the idea of incorporating rustic natural touches in my home.  And when I am able to incorporate them into holiday decor, even better.

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays.  The theme of love and hearts really speaks to me.  Every year, I happily add a new heart creation to my Valentine's Day decorations.

This year, I decided to make some Rustic Love Coasters.

Want to make a few of your own? 

You'll need some wooden coasters, cut from logs.  Need a tutorial...I've got you covered.  Check out my Wood Coaster Tutorial.

You'll also need some chalkboard paint.

Draw a heart, in pencil, on your coaster.  And, yes, if you have a snowman pencil, even better.

Fill in your heart using chalkboard paint.

Allow the paint to fully dry.

Then, write in chalk 'love' or 'amore' or your initials + your love's initials.

 Use it as a coaster, paperweight or simple decoration

Regardless what you do with these rustic love coasters, I hope you LOVE them.


*Don't forget, there is still time to sign up for the Uncommon Goods giveaway where one lucky While Wearing Heels reader will win a $50 gift certificate.

15 Valentine's Day Inspired Projects

Valentine's Day.  In the world of retail, Valentine's hype started the day after Christmas.  Today, the Valentine's hype starts right here, with a roundup of previous Valentine inspired projects I've shared.

Finger paint animal silhouette Valentine's along with some puns.

 
Hand print Valentine's. 

Band-Aid Valentine's.

You stole my heart Valentine's.

DIY Heart Eraser Stamp.

DIY Angel Wings.

Heart Pin or Headband.

Eraser to stamp tutorial. 

 

5 minute Valentine's day decor, you are guaranteed to love.

Embroidered 'loved' tee shirt.

Doggie Bag Tutorial.  Perfect bag to collect all those Valentine's day cards in.

Heart shaped bird seed ornaments.

Heart shaped, stamped, clay ornaments.

Dino-mite Valentine Day Cards.

'Love is all you need, all you need is love' garland.

I hope this look back on Valentine's days of the past leaves you feeling inspired.