Handmade Hearts Christmas Decorations - Tutorial

There's something special about handmade decorations, I feel our tree isn't complete unless there's a homemade touch added.

This year the children have chosen to decorate using only silver, gold and pure white. Miss E's hand crocheted stars and paper snowflakes from earlier years meet the colour requirements but none of the decorations I had made. I lay in bed pondering what I could make. These satin stars, stitched in silver thread are the result.

Using pure white Princess Satin, the thickest, richest I could find, I ironed on some stiff fusible interfacing.

Then I traced around a small paper heart template (cookie cutters would make good templates too) using a water soluble pen. Folding and pinning the now stiffened satin back to back I stitched the two pieces together with running stitch. I already had a skein of DMC Precious Metal Effects thread in silver, just right for the job. 

Above is the back which looks just like the front except without the blue pen markings. I began the stitching with a knot hidden between the two layers, then finished with a couple of stitches on top on each other going through the back layer only, hiding the end between the front and back layers.

After joining the front and back pieces with the running stitch, I carefully cut out the heart shapes with sharp scissors. Next I gently wet each heart to make the blue pen lines disappear, blotting dry on a clean towel. Lastly I managed to add a hanging thread by looping it through one of the top running stitches (as shown above) which helps the heart hang face forward on the tree.

Six new hearts (so far) hang cheerfully on our tree. They are cheap to make, bright and shiny and will take up next to no space to store (extra bonus) - or I may even find a happy spot for them to stay hanging all year round!

You could of course try stars or any shape, maybe adding embroidery, sequins or beads. Personally I like the simplicity of the hearts after all, love, His love, is what the season is all about.

Happier tree and a happier me!



Sharing at Maxabella Loves, In the studio.