Making a Decorative Fabric Heart Tutorial

I've featured on my Christmas trees and in a few blog posts finished felt and fabric hearts or other ornaments that I've made, but now I'll show the process in a couple of blog posts since there are a lot of steps.  I start by cutting a pair of felt hearts using a paper pattern I'd previously made. I used to leave the back just plain felt and this will work fine if you choose to do that too.  Now though, I've been covering with lace and beads.  This is using an old curtain piece to cover the back, and clear glass beads in the lace holes.

On the front I begin to lay out various lace pieces until I find combinations I like then cut and pin them in place.

Ribbon pieces laid out and pinned

Stitching the ribbon onto felt heart

I find the decorative jewels, flowers and beads I want to use and set them around to find the desired look, then once I have a basic idea I'll start to sew some main pieces on and add beads as I go to tack down the lace at the same time as I bead.  For this piece I cut a single "flower" from a roll of decorative trim brand ribbon bought at Hobby Lobby.  I also used Offray brand ribbon bows from JoAnn's and jewels I buy at various art supply places including the two I've mentioned Michaels or as I go to thrift stores, garage sales, etc I'll find vintage or broken jewelry and use the pieces in my crafts.  On this piece I've included two vintage earrings my sister-in-law Jennifer found at a garage sale.  I took the backs off with a pair of needle nose pliers and was easily able to sew them on to my piece.

Decorative Trim Brand Tulle Flower Ribbon Roll - Hobby Lobby

Offray Ribbon with Satin Bows and Rhinestone- JoAnns

Single flower cut out.  I fold netting under as I stitch flower into place

Vintage earring with earring back plate removed and ready to stitch on heart

I will set the jewels and pieces on, then move them around until I like the design.  As I stitched these into place I will add beads, pearls, jewels, etc... on as I go.  I've used small pearls, clear glass beads and 3mm gold lined light Jonquil beads from Artbeads.com.

Stitching flower on and beads

These are the gold lined light Jonquil beads

Added Jewel to center of Flower

First earring added, the on the ribbon I put brass roundels and stitched a pearl in the center to hold the roundel down, I've started adding beads to the openings in the crocheted lace here

After adding a ribbon loop to the top I stitched the first of my ribbon bows at the base of the loop.  See close up of beading and jewel details here

I continued to add roundels and pearls, along with small pearls, Jonquil beads, clear glass beads, two more ribbon bows and the second vintage earring.  I started to stitch the front and back pieces of the heart together here, but realized I needed to add more beads to empty areas on the front.  So before stitching more of the back on I added more beads.

I started adding more beads in the holes in the lace and on the flower pattern of the lace at right along with small pearls

Almost done, just need a few more beads in the lace far left under the flower

In this post I've shown the front and back pieces being stitched.  In my next post I'll show the tassel I made, putting the pieces together and stuffing the heart and the final photos.