Be Mine Valentine Wall Hanging

This was a craft that I made in 2002. Sometimes I can't believe how long ago I did stuff when I look back at my projects! LOL This one is one of my favorites though because it can be adjusted for kids and for adults. Make it as simple or as intricate as you want or as your supply inventory will allow ;-)

Be Mine Valentine Wall Hanging
by Amanda Formaro

You'd never guess this darling heart was once a boring brown paper grocery bag! Make one yourself to give to a friend or to hang in your entryway.


You will need

brown grocery bag
acrylic paint in red and pink
toothbrush
paintbrush
fine tip black marker
pinking shears (or other decorative scissors)
small material scrap in gingham or other pattern of your choice
heart shaped buttons, small pink, medium red
cotton batting (Fiberfil)
white craft glue (Tacky glue)
craft wire
pencil
raffia
hot glue gun

What you do

Lay brown paper bag on flat work surface. Cut out two large sections from the front and back of the bag. Stack those sections, one on top of the other, then fold them in half. Draw half a heart, with the fold being in the middle of the heart, then cut it out with the pinking shears. Or you can use this as a pattern.

Beginning at the bottom of the heart, use tacky glue to connect the two layers at the seams, stuffing the heart as you go with cotton batting (Fiberfil). Work your way around the edges, carefully stuffing (but not too much!) until heart is completely closed.

When the glue is dry, paint the heart red, leaving the decorative edges plain as seen in the photo. When the red paint is dry, dip the bristle tips of a toothbrush into the pink paint. Test your flecking ability on a piece of scrap paper before doing this on your heart. Hold toothbrush horizontally and drag your thumb across the bristles, causing the paint to fleck spots wherever you aim it. When you are comfortable with this method, go ahead and fleck some pink paint on your heart.

When pink paint is dry, use the black finetip marker to write BE MINE, placing decorative dots at the point of each letter. Use pinking shears to cut out a small heart from the gingham scrap material. Use white glue to adhere the material heart to the upper right hand corner of your brown bag heart. Use white glue to adhere a small pink heart shaped button to the material scrap.

Cut a piece of craft wire long enough to wrap completely around your heart. This should be enough for your hanger. Find the middle of craft wire, wrap the middle section of the wire around a pencil about 6 or 7 times. Pull the pencil out to create the curl at the top of your hanger. Curve the wire into a hanger shape and poke each end carefully through the sides of the heart as shown in the photo. Use the skinny end of a small paintbrush to curl the ends of the wire that you poked through.

Using raffia, tie a bow out onto the craft wire just before where the top curls begin. Using a hot glue gun, glue the medium sized red heart shaped button to the center of the raffia. Spray the entire heart with a coat of acrylic sealant.

Note: It is not necessary to paint the back of the heart, though you may if you like.


If you need a cute craft for the kiddies, try these Salt Dough Lips!!

Print this
(includes
recipe photos)