Hi friends! I have a simple and fun Valentine’s Day project for you today. I am showing you how to make a stuffed paper heart, and the results are adorable! This project only needs a few supplies and a small amount of your time. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Ever been rummaging through your old stuff and come across a book that has seen better days? Or that embroidery floss or yarn you bought for a project but never got around to using?
Well, today we’re going to breathe new life into these forgotten items. We’ll be crafting stuffed paper hearts using old book pages and yarn! It’s a fun, sustainable, and utterly heartwarming project. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, or any day you want to spread some love!
How to Make a Stuffed Paper Heart
As with any crafting project, there is no wrong way to make a stuffed paper heart. While I was figuring out how to make these hearts, I came up with a few different ways to do them. You may come up with even more! The bottom line is, go with what you love and what you can do.
Stitching Options
If you know me, you know that sewing is my kryptonite. I love so many elements of crafting but sewing and I just never hit it off. So many of you loved the version of these that I found on Pinterest though and asked me how to make them. So I was determined to figure it out for you!
Blanket Stitch
The stitch that I really wanted to use was a blanket stitch. These stitches not only show from the front of the heart. They also give you a beautiful border around the heart.
I watched how to do it over and over on YouTube and I did end up getting the stitch right. But I just couldn’t figure out how to start it and make it look neat.
So if you have the skills, by all means use a blanket stitch on your hearts. But if you struggle like I do, here are a couple of other options to try…
Simple Stitch
I have no idea what the stitch I used is called but it was simple enough for me to do. I just started where the two sides of my heart meet and inserted my needle through the back. Then I just looped around the hearts to tie them together. I tried to space my stitches evenly and remembered to come up through the back each time.
This method is simple but I think it turned out really cute!
Straight Stitch
Another option would be to draw a faint line inside the border of your heart and do a spaced straight stitch around it. I didn’t end up giving this a try but, again, I know many of you are much more skilled with a needle than I am.
If you do it this way you can leave your edges as is. Or you could make small slits all around to give your heart some paper fringe.
How to Make a Stuffed Paper Heart Supply List
- Old book pages (I used an old dictionary this time)
- Heart pattern
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Embroidery floss ( the floss worked best for me but you could also try yarn, twine, or string)
- Polly fill
- Hot glue gun
- Red Stickles
- Seed beads, glitter or both
How to Make a Stuffed Paper Heart Instructions
- Start by tracing your hearts onto your old book pages using your pattern. They can be any size you want, just make sure they are big enough to stuff. You will need two for each heart you make. Cut them out and you’re ready to go.
- Put your two hearts together then thread a needle with all six strands of embroidery floss. Double your floss up then tie a knot in the end to secure your tail.
- Now for the sewing. As I said, if you are a pro with a needle then you could do a blanket stitch around your whole heart to really give it definition. I, however, am not. So I just loop sewed (not even sure that’s a real term, friends) around the outside of my hearts, starting from the back each time. Leave a little opening for your stuffing to go in.
- Add your stuffing and then sew the rest of the heart closed. You can knot your thread at the end. Or just snip it and hot glue it like I did.
- Now that your heart is stuffed and secure, it’s time to add those final touches.
- Use the red Stickles to draw a heart a little bit inside your stitching. Then sprinkle your glitter or seed beads onto it.
- Now find a word that you want to use (believe, love, forever, etc…). Cut it out and then gently rip around the edges to rough it up. If you don’t want to spend time doing this or can’t find a word you want, there are a couple of other options.
- You can buy word books online that come with inspiring words by themselves for projects just like this. Or you can use a stamp and stamp the word you want onto part of the blank edge of one of your book pages.
The Wrap Up
And there you have it! A charming, handmade stuffed heart crafted from old book pages and thread. Not only have you created a beautiful decoration (or gift!), but you’ve also given new life to items that might otherwise have been thrown away or left in a box.
I would love to see how you use these stuffed paper hearts in your own home. So if you post any pictures of them on social media, tag me so I can check them out! Remember, there’s no right or wrong in crafting – it’s all about having fun and letting your creativity shine.
Happy crafting, my fellow vintage lovers! Keep exploring, keep creating, and most importantly, keep enjoying the process. And as always, I hope you love this project as much as I do!
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