How To Make Your Own Amazing Valentine Paper Garland

How to make your own amazing Valentine paper garland?  Well, it is probably much more simple than you might expect!

The beauty of making your own is that you are in charge of how big or small it is and how long or short!  Looking for ideas for my Valentine’s Day mantel, I saw one of these on Pinterest.  The lady who makes these has an Etsy shop.  It appears that she does great work and I immediately loved her garlands.

Of course, my first thought is, I can make these!  Quickly, I realize that the hearts are just layered and then, sewn together with a sewing machine to create a DIY 3-D heart garland!  Isn’t this such a clever idea?

[ctt template=”8″ link=”xaade” via=”no” ]How To Make Your Own Amazing Valentine Paper Garland. Click through for step by step directions for making a Valentine’s heart garland. [/ctt]

Paper For the Garland

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You can find decorative paper pads on Amazon, at JOANN’S, Michael’s, and Hobby Lobby.  One of the packages of papers I used is this Parklane Paper from JOANN’S.

 

 

This ‘AUTHENTIQUE’ package of vintage looking paper is what I used for the hearts cut for the third hearts, the ones on the back-layer of the sandwich.  I love these because each paper is printed on both sides.

 

Several of the Bo Bunny Pads of Paper have pages of cursive writing.  I cut hearts from these for the middle layer.

Of course, you can buy individual sheets at the craft stores, too.

 

Directions For Making A 3-D Valentine Paper Garland

Materials Needed:

• Decorative papers
• Cutting tools – Cricut, Sizzix Big Shot and heart die, or scissors
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Scissors

 

Cutting Out The Paper Garland Hearts

Using the cutting tool of your choice, cut hearts from the decorative papers.  The little hearts cut for this project are 2-inches across.   Your Cricut die-cutting machine can cut these out in no time. 

The Sizzix Big Shot takes a little more time but the hearts come out perfectly. 

Another way of cutting the hearts takes a little longer and is more tedious but doable.  For this, you will need to make a template, trace the hearts on your paper, and then, cut each with scissors.  There are other brands of die-cutting machines you can use.

You can make whatever size hearts you like and make the garland any length you choose.  Actually, you can make different shapes for different holidays and use the same process.  Imagine Christmas trees for a Christmas garland.

Paper Garland Directions:

After cutting out the hearts and stacking them in the order you want, use 3 layers of scraps from the papers and adjust the tension on your sewing machine until you have a perfect stitch.  I had to increase the tension for sewing the papers.  

Once you have the tension set, pull out a generous amount of thread from the bobbin and the top thread.  You’ll want this excess for attaching the garland at both ends.

Stitching the 3-D Valentine Paper Garland

Before you start, consider your *options for finishing the ends.  ◄Click here.

Place the first sandwich of three hearts on the sewing machine bed.  Set the needle at the top of the heart at the base of the indentation and drop the presser foot.  Stitch through the first set of hearts.  Then, place a double layer of tissue paper at the tip of the hearts.  

(I tried sewing these without the tissue paper and it seemed more difficult.  Then, I tried the tissue paper.  This makes it much easier.  The tissue paper can be easily removed afterward.)

Decide how many stitches you want between the heart sandwiches.  I chose to sew four stitches between each.  It’s easy to see the stitches on the tissue paper and make this gap uniform.  When the needle is down on the fourth stitch, lift the presser foot and position the next heart sandwich against the needle.  Sew through the middle of the heart to the tip and repeat the process.

TIPS:
1.  You want to have your stitches closer to a basting stitch length.  If the stitches are too close together, they will end up tearing much too easily.

2.  After making the garland, I think it is wise to have at least 4 stitches between each heart.  Probably, having 6 or 8 stitches would be even better.  It is a little bit tight trying to fold the paper hearts with them this close. 

When you reach the end of the piece of tissue paper, slip another double layer of tissue paper slightly under the previous or right on the edge of the previous.  I left the tissue paper on until the entire length of heart sandwiches was sewn.

 

Length:

Using this method, sixteen groups of three hearts make 36 – inches of garland.  For a 36 – inch garland it will take a total of 108 two-inch hearts.

To measure how long you need the garland to be, use a string or thin ribbon to drape.  When you have the drape you want, take down the string, and measure the length.  This initial measurement is only for the sewn hearts, not including the tails on each end.  Then, I added 6 extra sets of the heart stacks to allow those to hand down above the double hearts on each end.

The final measurement from end to end is 98-inches.   There are 40 sets of heart stacks and the two double heart ends for a total of 124 cut hearts.

You will be surprised at how quickly these little heart stacks can be sewn together.  When you reach the last set of hearts and sew through from the indentation to the tip, pull out the threads and cut, leaving a sizable length of thread equal to the length of thread you left at the top.  

Remove the Tissue Paper

 

You may be wanting to remove the tissue paper before you finish stitching all of the hearts.  Don’t!  The paper is really key to keeping the hearts straight and not tangled.

When you are finished sewing all of the heart stacks, carefully, remove the tissue paper by tearing from the stitching.  Hold one side of the tissue paper and tear the other side up and away from the stitching.  If there is an area where the tissue is a little temperamental, just pull off one layer of the tissue, then, pull off the second layer.

 

Finishing the Ends of the Paper Garland

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The heart garlands can be finished with a felt ball like the garlands in the Etsy shop.  I’m not sure how those are attached.  Conceivably, you can either glue the felt balls on the end or use the excess length of thread on the ends, thread a needle and sew the felt balls to the end.  Probably stitching is the best option.

At first, I wasn’t so cracked about this idea, but the felt balls in this picture are 15 mm, which is just over 1/2-inch.  The 25 mm, which is just short of an inch, seems too big to me.  It’s just a matter of preference.  

Other ideas for the ends might be paper hearts tied to each of the ends, or felt hearts hand-stitched to the ends using the excess thread on both ends.

My Choice For The Ends Of The 3-D Valentine Paper Garland

Although I like the idea of the felt balls, I didn’t order them early enough for this post.  I chose to add hearts to the ends.  For this option, just cut out two extra hearts for each end, a total of four.  Then, using a 1/8 – inch paper punch, make a hole in the middle of the heart just below the indentation at the top of the heart.  

To be sure that the holes line up, punch the hole in one, then, place on and line up on top of the other hearts and punch the hole in the same spot.

Next, using the excess thread on the ends, tie two hearts back to back to the garland.  Tie a set of hearts to one end.  Then measure the other end and tie the other set to match lengths.

*In retrospect, I could have sewn a 3-stack of the hearts, with the heart tip on the end, before starting the heart banner and on the opposite end after leaving an equal amount of a tail.  These can be sewn and knotted at the bottom.  Then, the 3-D hearts on the end will hang straight.

Valentine Paper Garland

 

After you have the hearts tied on each end and all of the tissue paper is removed, one by one, fold the front heart together along the stitching line.  It will flare out and open up at an angle.  In the same way, fold the back heart together in the opposite direction along the stitching line.  Leave the heart in the middle flat.  Now, you’ve created a 3-dimensional heart.

Repeat for each of the heart stacks.

 

 

 

When you have finished, hang your finished heart garland!  Isn’t this so cute?  It looks kind of shabby chic and a bit subtle but I like that.

Imagine a line of these hanging straight down for a shabby chic wedding backdrop!  I love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Need more Valentine’s ideas?  Click here► for how to make the white felt Valentine wreath in the picture above.  For upcycled Yogurt Glass Jar Ideas You’ll Love For Valentine’s Day ◄Click here and here ► for How To Make A Sparkly Valentine Heart From Wine Corks.

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