Hanging Hearts made from Scrappy Fabric
Don’t throw away your teeny tiny fabric scraps, use them to make pretty hanging heart ornaments.
Yesterday I shared a couple of ways to turn the smallest scraps of left over fabric into a pretty new patchwork cloth. Now let’s make something lovely with that scrappy patchwork fabric.
It’s time for the first Sustainable Craft Challenge of 2024, when I join a group of my creative friends to bring fun craft ideas with an eye on sustainability. We reuse, reduce and recycle, we upcycle and we shop our stashes to avoid buying new in the hope you will be inspired to craft in a more sustainable and planet friendly way. This month our theme is HEARTS, the perfect chance for me to show you how to make these pretty hanging hearts made from tiny fabric scraps.
First you need to create some new “fabric” from your tiny scraps. Hop over to this tutorial to find out how: How to make beautiful useable cloth from fabric scraps. Once you have your pieces of scrappy fabric we can get started and make lovely hanging hearts.
How to make a scrappy fabric hanging heart
What you need to make hanging hearts from scrappy fabric
A piece of upholstery fabric or other firm fabric that doesn’t fray too much
An fabric erasable pen
A length of ribbon (about 20cm/8” is about right)
A little fibre fill OR more fabric scraps
Dried Lavender or Pot Pourri - optional
A sewing machine and thread - although you could stitch this by hand if you prefer
A heart template
Heart Template
Your heart template can be any size you want. You might be restricted slightly by the size of your scrappy fabric. I made my heart template by folding a piece of scrap paper in half and drawing half a heart in it that is about 12cm top to bottom and 4.5cm at its widest point, that’s approx 4” high and 1 3/4” wide.
Cut out the half heart then open it out and check if you are happy with the size and proportions.
Sewing a heart ornament
Use the template to draw round and cut out a heart from your scrappy fabric and another from your backing fabric. I used a sample of upholstery fabric to back my hearts. You want something which is firm but that doesn’t fray too much ideally. If you fall in love with a fabric that frays a lot you can still use it but you’d want to use a product like Fray Check or Fray Block to secure the edges.
Place a scrappy heart and a backing fabric heart wrong sides together and insert a loop of ribbon at the top between the layers, securing it with a pin or two.
Stitch around the heart, leaving a small gap.
Stuff the heart lightly with a little fibre fill, some more tiny scraps of fabric or even a little dried lavender or pot pourri. Then sew up the gap and your first scrappy heart is finished.
They are so quick, why not make a load more!
More ideas for your scrappy fabric hearts
As you can see my hearts are very lightly stuffed, that was just to make them easier and cheaper to send in the post. You could stuff yours much more if you wanted to and make them more rounded.
You could add lace, buttons, beads or other decorations and embellishments to your scrap fabric hearts. If you want to do that I would recommend adding extras before you sew the hearts together, it will be easier that way.
You could cut out scrap fabric hearts and use them on a greeting card instead of sewing them into a ornament. A little bit of a pva type glue on the back would secure them to a card.
Or how about sewing a scrap fabric heart to a bag or garment, they could make lovely applique patches.
Now let’s get inspired by the other HEART themed ideas my creative friends have shared for the Sustainable Craft Challenge
Our Good Life: DIY Hearts Gumball Style Machine
Purple Hues and Me: Soda Bottle Heart Shaped Box
Christine’s Crafts: Small Crochet Hearts, free pattern
Sew Crafty Crochet: Crochet Heart
Mimi, a great name for Grandma: DIY Valentine Rag Wreath
Decor Craft Design : Valentine Heart Sign with Pistachio Shells
Old Rock Farmhouse: Doodle hearts Collage
Life as an LEO Wife: Faux Concrete Bunny