Valentine's Heart Transparency Tutorial

I really Love transparencies! They are so simple to make and yet so effective:) I have just made two little hearts on this one but you can really be creative and also make quite intricate designs that look amazing. I am going to make a few more of these and stand them all along our mantlepiece for our Valentine's dinner on the 14th.

Materials:
Red card
Scissors
Wax wrap paper
Pencil
Glue
Candle
Matches

Fold the sides of the card in towards the middle.

Draw two hearts or whatever design you would like and cut it out.

Cut out your wax wrap paper and stick on the inside of your card.

Stand up your card and place a little candle or two behind your transparency and you will have a very effective Valentine ornament.
Have fun:)

Valentine String Heart Tutorial

Today I have been working on these Valentine string hearts. We all went and sat outside with our chickens on the cool grass, craft materials in tow, our tea and a sliced mango to eat, the boys rode their bikes, the girls and I sat and spoke about many different things...  I feel very fortunate that we can enjoy our outside time in the warm South African sunshine and that autumn is still a little while away, this definately helps the creativity to flow...

I wanted to create something quite colourful, I love rainbows, so I decided on this rainbow string Valentine heart.


 Photo taken by Caiden...

Always a curious chicken nearby...

Materials:

Wire

Pliers

Rainbow yarn

Wool sewing needle

Scissors

Fold a piece of metal into a heart shape.

I used my yarn that I dyed at a recent dyeing workshop, I really appreciate the vibrance of the colours...

First I tied on the lighter rainbow yarn to form a warp of sorts...

The warp...

I then tied on the bright rainbow yarn and started weaving in and out of the lighter yarn...

Until I had woven this...

Tomorrow we will all make more hearts with different variations...
Happy Tuesday:) xo

Valentine's Heart Hanging Mobile Tutorial

Here is a Valentine's Heart Mobile the girls and I made up a short while ago. It was really easy to put together and we have them hanging all over our classroom at the moment to celebrate Valentine's Day :)

Materials:
Wool felt
Merino roving for stuffing
Scissors
Needle and thread in red and white
Golden thread
Heart templates in 3 different sizes

You can Google for heart templates in different sizes or just use a biscuit cutter and size it one size larer and one size smaller for the different heart sizes.

Cut out two felt hearts for each heart.

Sew them together and leave a small opening to fill with fleece and then sew closed.

Connect the hearts with golden thread sewing the largest heart at the top. Tie a small loop on the top if the gold thread so your mobile can hang.

Enjoy this craft:)
xo Linda, Jenna and Erin

Valentine Knitted Cupid Bow and Arrow...

I wanted to share our latest Valentine's craft, Cupid's Bow and Arrow. It is really a simple little project, I love simple:) It is knitted in an I-cord... I was thinking of attaching this to a card and sewing on the word LOVE at the top of the card with straight stitches in a red cursive font. I would stick the bow and arrow to the card with craft glue or fabric glue. Otherwise they could be attached to napkin rings for a Valentine's dinner OR even a hanging ornament if some thread was attached, or a broach, ok I will stop now:)...

Materials:
Thin wire
Red yarn
2 double pointed needles for knitting an I-cord
Sewing up needle for ends
Red felt for your heart
Scissors
Craft glue
Red cotton thread and sewing needle

 Cast on 3 stitches and knit two I-cords one - 3 inches long and one - 4.5 inches long.

Cut your wire to the same length as your I-cords and push into your I-cord, this can be a little tricky, so if it really refuses to push through, just wind your wire through the sittches of one side of our I-cord.

Sew in your ends and around the ends, bend your bow and attach some red yarn that will hold your bow in position.

I cut out a small red felt heart and sewed it onto the end of my arrow instead of a point. Sew your arrow to the bow.

And there you have it, Cupid's bow and arrow...
Enjoy xo xo

Please note, this pattern is for personal use only, and not for resale, items knitted from this pattern may not be sold for commercial purposes, thank you.

Valentine Heart Knitting Pattern, Tutorial

Today I have been working on a little pattern for a Valentine Heart and I am so please to be finished and to be able to share it here. It really is the easiest pattern, knitted entirely in garter stitch, flat with the slightest shaping on the sides. They knit up quickly and look wonderful in garter or stocking stitch too, if you would like to add some variation. I embroidered a heart on mine, but you could also embroider the word 'love' or someone's name for instance, too. Ok enough talking from me, here is the pattern:)

Materials:
Red yarn for your heart
White yarn for embroidery
Roving for stuffing
Wool needle for sewing up

Pattern: (Knit two sides)
Cast on 1 stitch.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Increase into the first stitch, knit to the end, increase into the last stitch. (3 stitches)
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Increase into the first stitch, knit to the end, increase into the last stitch. (5 stitches)
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: Increase into the first stitch, knit to the end, increase into the last stitch. (7 stitches)
Row 7-8: Knit
Row 9: Increase into the first stitch, knit to the end, increase into the last stitch. (9 stitches)
Row 10: Knit
Row 11: Increase into the first stitch, knit to the end, increase into the last stitch. (11 stitches)
Row 12: Knit
Row 13: Increase into the first stitch, knit to the end, increase into the last stitch. (13 stitches)
Row 14-21: Knit
Row 22: Knit 2 stitches together at the beginning of the row, knit until the last 2 stitches and knit 2 together. (11 stitches)
Row 23: Knit 2 stitches together at the beginning of the row, knit until the last 2 stitches and knit 2 together. (9 stitches)
Row 24: Knit 2 stitches together at the beginning of the row, knit until the last 2 stitches and knit 2 together. (7 stitches)
Cast off

Once you have knitted two sides, sew right sides together and leave a little opening for stuffing. Turn onto the right side and stuff. Once your heart is lovely and firm, sew closed.




Sew a thread at the base of your heart, push your needle up throught the inside of the heart and pull it out the top of the heart.

Push the needle back into the top of the heart and pull it out the base of the heart where you started sewing.

Pull quite tightly so that a depression is seen on the top of the heart giving you the wonderful heart shape:) and finish off.
I embroidered a little heart and also added some yarn for a hanging ornamnet:)

Enjoy!
xo
Linda

Please note, this pattern is for personal use only, and not for resale, items knitted from this pattern may not be sold for commercial purposes, thank you.