Lavender Bag Hearts to sew for Valentines Day Gifts
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They can use them to freshen their clothes and think about you every time they open that drawer or perhaps sleep with it under their pillow. Lavender helps you sleep! If you want to know more about the possible benefits of lavender read this informative article.
For a comprehensive article about different types of lavender and growing them take a look at this article at Happy DIY Home.
This tutorial has everything you need to make your own special lavender bag hearts including a free downloadable template. So have a read and see what you can make with basic sewing skills. There are two options here, one with fabric scraps and one with felt. Scroll down to the second set of instructions if you want to sew a simple fabric heart, the first set are for a hand sewn felt heart.
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You will need:
Fabric scraps (or felt)
Needle and thread
Pins and scissors
Heart template (available here as a downloadable heart template PDF for free)
Ribbon (optional)
Felt Heart
Step 1: Cutting out
Whether you are using ordinary fabric or felt this step is the same. Pin the template to your fabric and cut around it. You do not need to add a seam allowance as one is included. You need two hearts so either fold your fabric before attaching the template or cut two separately. If you would like to add some further hearts to the front of the bag for decoration then cut out hearts from the second page of the template in whatever colour felt you choose. I used one contrasting and one the same.
Step 2: Decoration
If you are adding hearts to the front then this step is for you. If you are not then scroll down to step 3!
Take the smallest heart and place it on the middle sized heart. Sew the hearts together using a running stitch as shown below.
Repeat this by sewing these hearts onto the front of the main heart.
Step 3: Sewing the hearts together
Sew the two hearts together using a blanket stitch. This forms a decorative finish and prevents any lavender from escaping. If you need to learn how to do blanket stitch or you just want a refresher check out the tutorial (and video).
Put a knot on your thread. I used embroidery thread. Push the need through the top heart from underneath. This will result in the heart being hidden inside the bag. Then loop around and push the needle through the two hearts from the back to the front making sure to loop the thread as shown in the picture.
Continue to do this making sure that you loop through the thread every time. That loop is what forms the thread running around the edge of the hearts.
Continue all the way around the heart until you have a small gap left. Fill the bag with lavender. I say fill but how much you place in it is up to you. If you put too much in it will be difficult to sew closed so just add lavender until you are happy with the result. Put less in if you intend it to be used under a pillow.
Finish the blanket stitch to close up the hole. Fasten off the thread. Cut it off after poking your needle through the bag. This leaves a length after your knot so that it should not pull through.
Well done, you have now finished your felt lavender bag hearts!
Fabric Heart
Step 1: Cutting out the fabric
Whether you are using ordinary fabric or felt this step is the same. Pin the template to your fabric and cut around it. You do not need to add a seam allowance as one is included. You need two hearts so either fold your fabric before attaching the template or cut two separately.
Step 2: Sewing the heart
For a fabric heart you have two options here.
You can simply place the two hearts together, right sides facing, pin around the edge and sew leaving a small gap for turning the heart out.
Once you have sewn around the heart carefully clip the bottom point off and snip into the top of the heart. This will help your heart to form a nice shape once you turn it out. Be careful not to get too close to your stitches as you may cause a hole!
If you would like a hanging ribbon on your heart then you just need to include an extra little step.
Place one heart down face up. Place your folded ribbon at the length you would like it to be on to the heart as shown below. Pin it in place as shown.
Place the other heart on top of the ribbon and heart and pin all 3 together. Be very careful not to catch the ribbon under the pins anywhere other than the top of the heart.
Then sew as you did for the previous heart instructions. Be careful not to catch the ribbon anywhere other than the top of the heart.
Step 3: Completing the heart
Once you have sewn and clipped your heart turn it the correct way out carefully. If you included a ribbon it should now be only sewn in at the top of the heart as shown below.
Now fill your heart with the lavender. I say fill but how much you place in it is up to you. If you put too much in it will be difficult to sew closed so just add lavender until you are happy with the result. Put less in if you intend it to be used under a pillow.
Now sew the heart closed using a slip stitch. If you are struggling with slip stitching it closed you could pin around the edge of the heart folding the open edge in towards the inside and top stitch around the heart.
Well done, you have completed your lavender bag hearts!
More Ideas
If you are looking for some more Valentine’s Day ideas then take a look at:
Fabulous 3d Valentine’s Day Cards
15 Fabulous DIY Valentine’s Day Craft Ideas
Hanging hearts made from paper
How to make woven heart baskets
Gorgeous flowers from old magazines
Fabric Flowers from an old T-shirt
So, whichever heart you decided to make I hope that your loved one is impressed and loves you a little bit more!
Remember to pin this tutorial on Pinterest so that you can find it later (and next Valentine’s Day)
