Giant Heart Valentine Decor
Supplies List
Scrap Cardboard
Scrap Fabric
Decorative Ribbon (Optional)
Marker for tracing
Kraft Paper or Other Paper for Template
Scissors
Utility Knife
Batting
Jute (Optional Hearts)
Picture Frame (Optional Decor)
Charcoal Pencil (‘Love’ Sign)
Affiliate links are included within this post for your convenience and a video tutorial is also posted below for additional help when creating your hearts.
Step One
The first thing is to find some cardboard. Use what you have or check your local recycling center for clean cardboard. The cardboard does not have to be perfect. We are going to distress it in the end anyway!
Fold a piece of Kraft paper in half and draw a half a heart on it. By folding it in half, rather than cutting out a full heart, both sides of your heart will be the same. Cut that heart out and open up your Kraft paper. Now lay your paper template on your cardboard and trace around it.
Cut the heart shape out of the cardboard using a utility knife or exacto knife. Be sure to have something under your cardboard so you do not cut into the surface you are working on.
Step Two
Trace your cardboard heart onto a piece of fabric. Any fabric will work here and you could even layer the fabric if you wanted to add a lace pattern to the top for additional texture and dimension.
Then draw a second line about 1” - 1 1/2” in from the first line you traced. Cut your heart out along the inside line. We want our fabric to be slightly smaller than the cardboard so the cardboard is exposed on the final product.
Step Three
The next step is to glue the fabric onto the cardboard heart. Work in small sections. Place the glue on the cardboard first so you can get an exact placement and then gently press the fabric down to be sure the fabric and cardboard bond. Be careful and remember: Hot Glue is HOT!!!
Leave one side of the fabric open (almost the full length of one side) so you can stuff the heart. Use any kind of batting you have, you can purchase new or it is also a great way to use up old batting from pillows that have seen their better days or stuffed animals that your kids have grown out of.
Stuff the heart until it has the amount of thickness you want to create. As you get closer to the open side, glue a little, stuff a little, and work your way to the end until the fabric is fully glued down all the way around the heart.
Step Four
The last step is to add the ribbon and any other fun accessories you want to your heart. Glue the ribbon around the outside to cover up any rough edges of the fabric. Then use your utility knife and rough up the edges of the cardboard to give it a distressed finish.
The video below also walks you through some small cardboard hearts you can add to hang from your heart or a ‘love’ sign you can also set along side the heart to create a beautiful Valentine vignette.
And that’s it! You now have yourself an adorable heart made from scrap cardboard and a little fabric! We would love to see what you have been working on, so send us your heart photos on any of our social media platforms.
