newspaper heart bunting :: two ways

I'm sure you saw this coming! Valentine's Day is another wonderful opportunity to make newspaper bunting. An I LOVE YOU banner really sets a nice mood. My children were squabbling. I pointed to the hearts. My big guy moaned "Mom!", but they stopped and were actually quite kind to one another without me saying a word. I might have to leave this up for a while. So, if you'd like to hang some hearts of your own, here you go!

Newspaper Heart Bunting

Materials
- newspaper
- acrylic craft paint
- paint brush
- scissors
- twine or ribbon
- brown paper

Make

1. Position newspaper so that the fold is at the top. Fold over and cut out a half heart leaving a tiny portion at the top rounds of the heart uncut.

2. Cut out enough (double)hearts to spell your sentiment.

3. Spread out hearts on brown paper and paint with your color of choice.
4. Let dry and iron flat before painting on letters or hanging over ribbon. Refer to these instructions for more details.
Look what I discovered when I peeled off my dry painted hearts from the brown paper!

In keeping with my love for using every bit of something, I immediately cut out my surprise hearts... I'll show you what to do with those in a future post. Since I had my red paint out, I decided to stamp a few more little hearts like the ones here. I had used a potato stamp a few days earlier. My husband asked me each night if he could put the potato in the compost. For some reason, I resisted. Well, do you know the magic that happens to a potato stamp that has been left out to dry for two nights!! I do, now!
The carved part shrinks. The outline becomes raised in a ridge. The middle grows concave, except for the direct center, which becomes lacy. I think it's beautiful!

I stamped a bunch on newspaper also... which leads me to my second newspaper bunting, which is my favorite. It's made from the stamped and cut out newspaper hearts, and looks perfect everywhere. I machine sewed through each heart just like my snowflake garland.


I used white thread for the bobbin and red for the the needle. In the spaces between the hearts, it looks like a wispy strand of baker's twine. Love that! I brought it over to the barn with a present for my mother, her new inspiration board that she had requested for her sewing corner.

A special message magically appeared when I set it on her table...

Love you, Mom!


If you'd like some more heart bunting inspiration, click right over to Pascale's at //between the lines// or over at wild olive's bunting. Rachel has a series of round-ups of Valentine's crafts at One Pretty Thing.

I really want to thank everyone who has left a "love" comment on the weekend give-away. I had no idea what to expect. I feel like I know each of you a little more intimately... a tiny bit deeper, and I'm so very lucky. It's hard to read through them all and not feel filled to the brim and ready to spread more. Happy making on this first Monday of February!