Spring cleaning is in the air...As you're going through closets and drawers, don't throw out those old, wool sweaters! You can turn them into a beautiful present and prevent unwanted clothing from being tossed. Did you know that approximately 10 million tons of unwanted clothing ends up in US landfills every year? (source: http://lainie.typepad.com/makinggood/2008/11/a-plea-for-slow-fashion-take-a-holiday-from-clothes-shopping.html). What better way to re-purpose an old sweater than to turn it into a delightful Valentine's gift.
Here's how you do it:
Heart Supplies:
Download Valentine_heart_pattern
·Valentine's colored wool sweater that is at least 75% wool. I prefer the felted sweater because it's thicker than standard felt. You could also use an old wool blanket.
·Empty cereal box.
·Craft glue: I prefer Kid's Choice Glue by Beacon Adhesives. It has a nice tackiness, dries quickly and is safe to use with kids. I frequently include children in making my projects so they can learn how to create beautiful projects out of materials found at home. You could also use any other type of tacky glue.
·Stuffing: before buying stuffing, consider an old pillow or worn out stuffed animal. The stuffing can be re-purposed for this project.
·Optional: needle, DMC floss, yarn or other colorful thread, sewing pins
·Fabric + paper scissors (don't use your sharp fabric scissors on paper).
·Sharpie Marker
·16" piece of yarn or ribbon
Card Supplies:
·Cardstock
·Glue stick
·Glitter
·Glue pen
·Scissors or x-acto knife
Heart Directions:
Wash sweater in hot water and detergent to felt. Run through the dryer to felt further. You can always wash and dry a second time to get a tighter weave and thicker fabric. By washing and drying the sweater, you're causing the wool fibers to lock together, creating a felted fabric that won't fray. Be sure to felt the sweater with similar colors otherwise you'll end up with other colors and lint felted into the fabric. You can also felt it by hand in a sink of very hot water and detergent. It just takes longer.
While the sweater is washing & drying, print the heart pattern and using a glue stick, glue to the cereal box. Do the same with the pocket pattern. These are the templates. Cut templates out with scissors.
Once the sweater is dry, cut apart the sweater at the side and shoulder seams. Lay fabric flat. Decide which side will be the back. Take the heart and pocket templates and trace an outline with the Sharpie Marker. Cut the shape out with scissors. If there is black marker still on the felt, you can gently trim away with the scissors.
Turn one of the hearts right side up. Using glue or a needle and thread, affix the pocket to the front of the heart. If you are sewing, you can use a whip stitch or a blanket stitch in a contrasting thread color.
Take the back of the heart, wrong side facing up. Take the ribbon and fold in half to create a loop. Set the ends of the ribbon about 1/2" inside the top of the heart. Glue or tack into place. This loop will allow you to hang the heart on a doorknob, branch, or nightstand.
Glue or stitch all the way around the heart, leaving approximately 2" open at one side. You need the opening so you can stuff the heart. If you are gluing, allow the glue to set for at least 30-45 minutes before stuffing.
Gently stuff the heart, filling the mounds at the top of the heart and working from the far end to the center and finally to the opening. Do not overstuff the heart or it will be hard to glue shut. If you have accidentally overstuffed, you can glue and use sewing pins to hold the edges in place until the glue has dried.
Card Directions:
Print out the cards. They are approximately 1 1/8" x 2" (incase you want to cut out your own).
Affix the cards with a glue stick to card stock. To smooth out any bumps, gently pull a credit card across the surface. This burnishes the surface and eliminates air pockets and glue bumps.
Using a glue pen, outline and fill in the heart. There are many medium sized glue pens such as Aleene's. Dust with glitter.
Using a fine glue pen, such as a Sakura fine line glue pen, outline the letters and dust in a different color of glitter.
Let the glitter dry. Then, taking an x-acto knife or scissors, cut out the card just inside the outline so that it doesn't show. If it does show, outline with the glue pen and glitter.
Once the card it dry, tuck into the heart pocket and present to your favorite Valentine!
Rebecca Shapiro is a professional artist and crafter. Her art, strongly influenced by nature, explores relationships and how those bonds or their dissonance form beauty in the world. She has worked with crafts, beads and fibers for more than 20 years and loves texture, form and color... especially when she can experiment with materials, techniques and unusual applications.
Informed by a childhood in the Pacific Northwest, Rebecca strives for sustainable practices in her studio and earth friendly materials in her mediums. She is committed to green and earth friendly arts + crafts exploring how to reduce impact on our environment and lifestyles. She says "My art stands as an example of what it means to be a sustainable artist seeking kinship between art, nature and the human experience. It offers hope so we may remember the interconnectedness of life."
Recent Comments