Molly's Sketchbook: Valentine Pins

When I was a child I always loved Valentine's Day. I relished picking out which paper valentines and candy hearts I would give to each of my classmates and I loved making valentines out of construction paper, paper doilies, and lots of glitter. Best of all, my dad always bought me a heart shaped box of See's Candy!

As I got older, I grew less in love with Valentine's Day. It seemed complicated by expectations and less like a great excuse to pull out my craft supplies. But last year I really enjoyed making and giving a bunch of handmade valentines. I realized that I didn't need to fret about the parts of Valentine's Day I didn't enjoy, and that it could be the perfect occasion to do something creative and fun.  It is in this spirit that I approached this latest project.

The Valentine Pins are very quick and easy to make. I think they are a wonderful project to do with kids for their class valentine exchange. The wool felt they are made with doesn't need to be hemmed and it comes in the the richest most saturated colors. They are so little and cute I just wanted to eat them when saw them all together! 

Happy Valentine's Day! --Molly

Materials

• One Wool Felt Bundle in Spice (I also used individual pieces of fuchsia and a bright pink which I had left over from our all of our Christmas projects.)
• Valdani Embroidery Thread in various shades of pink, red and orange.
• Bamboo Stuffing
• Small safety pins
• Pinking Shears

Download, print and cut out our Heart Template here. I traced mine onto a piece of cardboard so it would be sturdy and reusable.

Cutting

Cut two 2 1/2-inch squares from one of the felt pieces.

Stack the two squares neatly on top of one another and trace the heart template on the top square using a pencil.

Using pinking shears, cut through both pieces of felt around the marked heart. You will have two heart shapes. If there are any pencil marks visible just flip the pieces over so their tops are mark-free. Line up the two hearts wrong sides together.

Sewing and Stuffing

Cut an 18-inch length of embroidery thread in a color that contrasts pleasantly with the felt. Sew the two shapes together all around the edge, 1/8th of an inch from the edge using a small neat running stitch. In order to hide the knot start your first stitch in-between the two pieces of felt. Stop before you get all the way around so that you leave a small gap as pictured above.

Using a pencil or a knitting needle stuff the heart tightly, using one small bit of stuffing at a time.

Once the heart is stuffed tight sew around to close the gap.

Tie a knot on the back side of the stitching and then stick your needle through the back of the heart. (Do not poke through to the front!) Pull the thread through and clip it very close to the felt, this will hide the end and make the back look nice and neat.

Attaching the Pin

Place a small safety pin on the center of the back of the heart. Make sure it's oriented so that you will easily be able to open the pin once it's sewn onto the heart.

Tie a small knot at the end of your embroidery thread and begin sewing the pin onto the heart through the back ring of the safety pin as shown above. This will help to anchor the safety pin.

Sew the safety pin on securely as shown above. When you're done you can hide the thread end in the same way as you did in the "Sewing and Stuffing" section and you'll be all done! Repeat as many times as you want to make a beautiful array of pins!

Comments

[Stephanie]

These are adorable! I love how simple they are.

[Michelle]

Thanks for showing us how to use a simple, ordinary safety pin for the back, no need to buy those special pin backs anymore! Fabulous.

[Metropolitan Housewife]

Awww, these are absolutely ADORABLE! I think I'll make one of these for each of my DD's preschool classmates- how simple and precious!

[Kelli]

These are the cutest little hearts ever!

[Fig]

I have been thinking about V-day and crafty hearts for the last several days and here are some!

I love those little hearts. I am planning on making them a bit bigger, and embroidering very brief expressions of LUV on them--as on the Sweet Tarts!

Thanks for the inspiration.

[cidell]

A-dorable!

[billiejeanne]

I love it! What fun colors.

[Linda]

Aren't these the cutest little hearts! I guess I have another project to do. LOVE YOUR BLOG. Thank you so much for posting. Linda

http://twosucculentsisters.blogspot.com

[Kate]

I agree with all the above comments. This project is adorable however I considered the copyright infringement regarding the actual heart shape a bit too much given that the heart seems nearly a universal symbol! Many thanks, Kate

[jessica dougherty]

adorable! i will have to give this a shot!

[Stephanie]

These are adorable!

[Carolyn]

These are ADORABLE. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this nifty idea!

[Holly]

Love these! I hope you don`t mind that I wrote about them on my blog and posted one of your pics! Thanks!!!

[cata]

Wonderful idea!
Thanks for sharing.
Cata

[Nikki]

Awesome! Thanks, can't wait to do this with my kids.

[dana]

Adorable! I absolutely love them.

[Nina]

This is adorable!!! Thank you so much for the tutorial, I can't wait to make some myself!! Greetings from Germany - Nina

[Azul]

this hearts are so beautiful!!! i love ti, it look so easy to do, i´ll try it! thank you so much!!

[Jasmine]

THESE ARE ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS

i always tend to think that holiday-esque stuff are tacky

but NOT THIS
haha LOVE.

check out my blog :)!

[kellybee]

I love these! I want to make them into magnets too...any tips?

[lucy]

soo lovely-the colors are candy fantastic!! i'm stuffing mine with lavender for sachets. gorgeous post and amazing inspiration yet again. thanks!!

[Chriss]

Thanks so much for the tut! I am off to make hearts. I am taking a friend to the hospital for chemo today and I think this is the perfect activity for us. You are a peach!

[ST.]

It's simple, lovely and fabulous idea. I would like to mention about your cute little hearts on my blog. Hope you don't mind.

[Rachel V.]

Just too stinkin' cute!!! I'm probably out of time for this year, but definitely saving this link for next year's ideas. :)

[Craftershock]

We loved your project so much, we featured it on Craftershock!

http://www.craftershock.com/blog

[Sophie]

What a fun idea :)! This is so cute!

[Katie]

Thanks for the inspiration, after seeing these I came up with these felt heart necklaces for my two and half year old and her friends. Your post definitely got the creative juices flowing.

http://katiesnestingspot.blogspot.com/2009/02/felt-heart-necklace-and-bobby-pin-hair.html

[Jen]

I found this project a few weeks ago and decided to make some for co-workers in place of paper valentines.They were a HUGE hit and I wanted to come back and thank you for a great idea. You're awesome.

[Brian Moy]

WOW! This is just the design I was looking for. They look absolutely lovely!

[Ashley W]

LOVE this idea!! I think I might have to try it myself! And I'm not a sewer by any means. Thanks for this :)

[shery]

very beautiful and colorful

[Laura]

Those are hearts are ADORABLE!!! and attaching the safely pin - ahha moment for me!! Thanks!! :-)

Laura@6lalas.blogspot.com

[CathyAgent]

I made these for valentine's day mainly because I saw these amazing, colorful bolts of felt at the fabric store and I just gave them away to people (at the bakery, at office depot etc.) I had some silver thread in my box and that looked great on some of them too. I make some a size larger (easier to stuff). It was fun and made people smile. Thanks for the idea. Shamrocks next?

[roochi]

ooow, i ♥ them,, so nicee, !
i'll make one foreach of my friendsss for their date


thank youuuu, :)

[Tricia]

Thank you for this, and for all the exquisite projects. To make it even more special, I added a few lavender buds with the stuffing. A chopstick works very well to help stuff. After I sewed the heart closed, I ran the needle and thread through (didn't cut it as suggested) and to save some knotting, poked it directly into the pin hole and started sewing the pin on. Happy Valentine's Day!

[Ani]

Thanks so much! These are adorable! I'll be happy to hand these out on Valentine's Day!

[Sarah of cocoblog]

Thanks so much for sharing!! Simple and sweet idea. My daughter will love this!

[Holly]

Love this! I included this in a Valentine Round Up on my blog. Thanks for sharing!

Blessings,
Holly
http://hallelujahsbyholly.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentine-inspiration-love-around-house.html

[Passionate Blogger]

Such a great idea & wonderful tutorials! A very family-friendly project. Thanks for sharing.:)

[Maggie]

I love these! Super cute and simple! Wish I would have seen them sooner to make one for each of the girls at work :(

[Heidi H.]

I just had my 5th grade students make these. It was easy for them (we pre cut the hearts) and they loved it. thank you!

[rina]

thanks for the simple n lovely DIY!!
can't wait to do it ^^

[isabel]

Génial ! Une superbe idée ! Merci !

[frances]

What a bunch of lovely comments. Did anyone else suggest embroidering an X and an O on one of the hearts before they get stitched together? Contrast color thread would be a good idea. I'm going to try this!

Love is in the air and in the felt!

[Linda L.]

Tricia, thanks for the idea about running the thread through to the safety pin instead of cutting it - it looks much 'cleaner' without the knot beside the pin and can't come undone like the knot could.

I'm making mine some with one colour and some with two colours of felt for a little variety. The notion of handing them out to the folks you see as you go through your day is brilliant.

[Isabellla]

Love it!!
I shared it, hope thats okey :)
http://crafterlifebyme.blogspot.com/2012/02/this-time-i-didnt-know-what-to-choose.html

[promstreet]

gorgeous post and amazing inspiration yet again. thanks!!