Dancing Heart Garland

Create this dancing heart garland with some paper, watercolor and a heart punch in no time at all. It makes a fun little Valentine’s Day card!

It’s no question that paper is my favorite medium to craft with. It is super versatile, there is a bunch of different types, it stores easily and I don’t feel too guilty when I throw an old project into the recycling bin. Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I decided to use my favorite medium to make some gorgeous heart garlands that double as a card. The best part of this garland is that the hearts are made to look like they are each facing different directions, to give the appearance that they are dancing. Because of this the garland can be hung horizontally or vertically. It’s perfect to hang by the recipient’s desk at work, along a window, or down the side of a mirror.

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Supplies:

• gouache or watercolors
• watercolor paper
• foam brushes
• heart punches (small, medium, large)
• light gold thread
• needle
• cardstock
• washi tape

I used some relatively thick water color paper and some gouache (which is similar to watercolors). Gouache in tubes is great because it’s very easy to blend and create gorgeous vibrant colors. Plus it lasts forever, these are the same tubes I used in calligraphy class in college 15 years ago…maybe I need to use them more often.

If you love hearts, then you need to check out these other craft ideas-

•  Valentine’s Day Table Runner 
• Alcohol Ink Valentine’s Hearts
• Stamped Hearts Tea Towel

On a flat surface, lay out your paper. Use a thick brush dipped in water and wet the entire paper. Put a pea size small amount of gouache on a plate or palette and mix it with approximately a tablespoon of water. Use the smaller foam brush to paint stripes across the surface of the wet paper. You should see the paint fan out on to the wet surface. Continue to paint until you see the results you desire. Set aside to dry. When dry, repeat the painting process on the other side.

Once the paper is dry, punch out hearts in a variety of sizes. I thought about using my Silhouette to cut the hearts out, but I was concerned that the paper would be too thick to get a good cut. Plus the punch method seems a little faster.

Thread the needle with the gold thread. I originally used plain white thread, but I found that it was more apt to tangle and frustrate the heck out of me. The gold thread is thicker and it looks prettier to boot. Start by cutting approximately six feet of thread. Stitch 2 to 3 stitches into a heart. The magic of this is that you can stitch anywhere on the heart. You want each heart to fall differently, some on their side, some upside down, some right-side up, so they look like they are dancing. Space the hearts about 2 – 3 inches apart.

On the last (or next to last) heart write your mushy love message.

Turn it into a card by wrapping it around some card stock. Tape it down on the back of the card stock with some pretty washi tape so it doesn’t get into a tangled mess. Stick it in an envelope and mail it to your mom or your best friend!

Isn’t this dancing heart garland so simple? It is absolutely gorgeous and a fun surprise gift!

Linked to these fabulous parties!

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