The fact that Valentine’s Day has just passed actually provides a great opportunity: why not put a little bit of the love and sentiment we enjoyed on the holiday into everyday life? There’s no reason to limit the gifts of love to just once a year. Show someone you “heart” them all the time with one of these quick and easy stuffed hearts!
The pocket is perfect for tucking in a tiny gift, love note, or tickets to an event. If you don’t have a gift to tuck, leave off the pocket to make a simple little plushie that’s a present in itself. I love the idea of leaving these hearts everywhere–on your work friend’s keyboard, your sweetie’s pillow, or even at a table setting. I’ve stuffed mine with fiberfill, but you could turn these into sachets by adding lavender, or even into bean bags/paper weights by filling them with dried lentils. Best of all, you can make one of these little tickers in less than an hour, so there’s no reason to delay. Enjoy! — Brett Bara
CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump!
Materials
- Heart templates (download and print using the link below)
- Assorted medium-weight cotton fabrics
- Fiberfill stuffing (optional: you can also use lavender or dried lentils)
- Thread to match fabric
- Pins
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
- Iron and ironing board
- Heart Template
1. Download the template
Download and print the template for the heart and cut out the paper template pieces.
2. Cut the fabric
To cut the pocket piece, fold the fabric wrong sides together and place the dotted edge of the template on the folded edge of the fabric. Cut out the shape, cutting through both thicknesses of fabric.
Then, cut two front/back heart pieces from coordinating fabric.
Note: to make a heart without a pocket, just skip the pocket and simple cut two heart front/back pieces.
3. Sew the heart
With the pocket piece still folded in half, iron the fold line to crease it, then topstitch close to the folded edge.
Place the pocket piece on the right side of one of the heart pieces, aligning the bottom edges. Put the remaining heart piece on top of this, right side down. Pin all the layers together.
Sew around the perimeter of the heart using a 1/4″ seam allowance, stopping and starting the seam where indicated on the template.
(Detail of leaving an opening in the stitching as indicated by the dots on the template.)
Snip the fabric in the seam allowance every 1/2″ or so, around all the curved edges of the heart. Then, trim the seam allowance all around the heart to about 1/8″ – but do not trim the seam allowance at the unsewn opening.
Turn the heart right-side out through the opening in the stitching. Use a pointy object to gently poke out the point at the bottom of the heart, and press the piece flat.
Fill the heart with stuffing. If you like, you can add some lavender or other scented herbs to the stuffing to make a sachet, or fill the heart with dried lentils to make a bean bag.
Stitch up the opening by hand using a whip stitch and matching thread, and you’re done!
33 Comments
these hearts are adorable!! i love the fabrics that were used!!!
Those are so cute. Can I say that? A friend made me some years ago, but put rice in it? Then I could heat them up in the microwave and put them in my mittens!
Oh cute! I am getting a new sewing machine next week, just in time to try these out!! Thanks for the adorable idea!
What a lovely idea – very cute the way the locket is tucked into a heart.
Pretty! These could certainly be used as pin cushions, too. Thanks for the tutorial.
This is actually the first sewing craft my grandma taught me as a kid and boy did I looooooove making hearts after that! Thanks for bringing back great memories.
I love that sweet little pocket. What a fun gift idea!
Oh I so agree- Valentine’s Day should not the only day to distribute some lovin’ and show people you care! What a precious idea this is, making these little hearts. Thank you for sharing!
Awesome! That is so cute… and a great way to spruce up a gift!!
The combination of the shape and the fabric really came together.
They’d make a great mobile
My mother made us little heart-shaped pillows with pockets when we were small. They were a little different than these, but you could use them for the same purpose: the tooth fairy! Lost tooth went in the pocket, a coin appeared in its place. It’s a great tip for any tooth fairy who has frantically searched for a child’s missing tooth under a pillow!
love the colors chosen! there’s so many things i can do with them.
I did a similar thing before christmas (though your tutorial is much better!) but filled my hearts with lavender-
http://knittingontrains.blogspot.com/2010/12/owl-and-heart-lavender-filled-drawer.html
I love the necklace. Please do tell where it is from.
Super cute, year-round!!
-Chic Done Cheap
mmm, lovely! I’m going to use these with my love heart design.
Naomi – the necklace is from H&M, a bazillion years ago. Sorry. Bet you could find something similar on Etsy though?
Brett
I love hearts all the time, not only at Valentine’s. Thanks for this post, i’m gonna go make me some hearts :0)
they look so lovely, im gonna try to make such heart on my own. thank you for the great idea!
darling. i love the fabrics. my children would love these! maybe i’ll get them to make them with me x
c’est superbe!!!
merci pour cette magnifique idée.
Au plaisir!
I am a beginning sewer and am always on the look-out for easy things to sew. This is such a cute pattern and I love your simple instructions and pictures. So easy to follow! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this wonderful idea! This past weekend my mom, sister, 2 cousins and I made about 50 of those for my cousin´s baby shower!
I love these, I added a bit of ribbon sewn into the hem as a loop for hanging.
I know that this is from a while ago, but was just looking for some heart patterns and found this. I have a new bedspread coming that has hearts on it, so I was looking for something to continue the theme in my bedroom. thank you for a neat idea.
I absolutely love these heart. I’m a virgin sewer. I got a sewing machine for christmas and this is my first project. Where did you get that gorgeous fabric from…!!
I LOVE your pattern. Thanks so much for sharing and such a great idea for Valentine’s Day gifties.
I also made something similar from felted sweater for my kids to put their teeth in. The thought of them waking while I searched – made it so much easier!
Thank you – I have made some and linked to you via my new blog :D
Thanks so much – just finished making three of these in different sizes – my first project with my first ever sewing machine!
Thank you so much! I sewed my first things on my first sewing machine – and it were these lovely hearts. I had so much fun! Amazing experience. Yay! :)
I’d love to thank you for this fantastic Idea, I’m getting married in August, it’s winter here that time, so I’m having these hearts filled with uncooked rice and lavender (microwave beanbags) as thank you gifts for my guests.
These are adorable! My daughter wanted to make a heart with fabric for my Mom and me for Mother’s day. This will be perfect for her.
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