Weaving Paper Hearts

These woven hearts are made from various prints of card stock and have a lovely pattern and texture.  If you don't have a selection of card stock available, pages from magazines are a great alternative.

They work wonderfully as-is on a lovely Valentine's day card, or glued onto a toothpick as a cupcake pick.  They also make a wonderful finish for a jewelry pendant or charm.  The size can easily be adjusted for your purposes.

The weaving is very simple. Just cut a bunch of narrow strips of mixed colors of paper, about 1/8" wide, then begin weaving them together.

Intersperse the colors randomly to give it a mixed tone. While adding strips of paper, use a fingernail to tighten the weave. When the desired size is reached,secure the back with some clear tape to keep the outer strips from loosening.

Next, turn the weave over and trace a heart shape onto the back.

Carefully cut the heart from the weave. Having the back taped really helps keep the weave tight.

And there you have your finished heart!

You can create a "fringed" effect by making a smaller weave, and cutting the heart at an angle, leaving the edges of the heart loose and rough.

There you have it!  Simple, quick, and inexpensive.

To see more of my original tutorials, visit http://childmadetutorials.blogspot.com.