Friday, February 1, 2013

Tutorial: Be Mine Valentine Garland


Hello and thanks for stopping by!  Today is my stop on the Spread the Love Valentines blog hop hosted by Ellison Lane Quilts.  I'm excited to share a fun heart garland tutorial which will add a little bit of Valentine's love to your home!

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**Check out the bottom of this post for today's giveaway from Hot Pink Stitches for a $25 gift certificate to her etsy shop!**  This giveaway is now closed.

Be Mine Valentine Garland Tutorial

You Will Need:

(18) appx. 5" square fabric scraps
(9) appx. 4" square fabric scraps
4" x 12" fabric for letters
Double Stick fusible web (I used Steam a Seam lite) 
bias tape or ribbon measuring 67" long
Water Soluble fabric marker
Heart template
Spray Starch (optional)

**Tip:  Before beginning, please keep in mind how you want to layer your fabrics.  I chose to use a darker print for the larger hearts, and a lighter print for the smaller hearts, and then a darker red for the letters, so that each layer "pops".  Be advised, by using a lighter print on top of a darker print, you may get some show through of your darker print, especially through white.** 


Be Mine Valentine Garland Tutorial

1.  Begin by printing out the Be Mine Template and the Heart Template (found here and here).

2.  Cut out one of the larger hearts from the heart template.  We will use this as a template to trace onto the wrong side of (9) of our 5" fabric squares.
**Tip:  I found it helpful to spray starch my fabric squares before tracing the hearts, as it helped to keep my fabric from bunching while tracing**

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3.  Cut out all 9 hearts you traced onto your fabric squares, set aside.

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4.  Next, trace the smaller heart template onto your fusible web (Steam a Seam) 9 times.  You will note that there is on side of the steam a seam that pulls away quite easily, and one side of the Steam a Seam that is harder to pull off.  Trace your hearts onto the side that is hard to pull away.

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5.  Loosely cut around each heart you just traced on to the fusible web.  

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6.  Peel away the easy to remove paper side from your fusible web hearts from step 5.  (Your heart tracing should still be visible)  Fuse according to the fusible web manufacturers directions on to the wrong side of one 4" fabric square.  Repeat with (8) remaining 4" fabric squares/fusible web hearts)

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7.  Cut along the heart outline  You should now have (9) smaller hearts that are backed with fusible web and the paper-y covering.  Set aside.

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8.  Using the Be Mine Template, turn the template over, so the letters are backwards, and trace the outline of each letter using a dark fine point marker (Sharpie) or dark colored pen.

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9.  Trace the backwards letters onto the fusible web, as you traced the small hearts in step 4.

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10.  As in step 6, peel away the easy to remove paper side of your fusible web.  Fuse to wrong side of the 4" x 12" fabric you are using for the letters.

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11.  Cut out the letters along the outline visible on the fusible web.

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12.  Now comes the fun part, use  your large hearts from step 3, your smaller hearts from step 7, and your BE MINE letters from step 11, remove the harder-to-remove paper backing from your fusible web to expose the sticky side of the smaller hearts and letters, and arrange in the following manner:

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13.  Once you are happy with the arrangement, press with your iron to fuse together.  Set aside.  **Note, you will have 3 large heart/small hearts that do not have a letter.

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14. Repeat steps 4-7 with the large heart on the Heart template, to form 9 large hearts backed with fusible web.  These hearts will be the garland backs.  Set aside.

15.  If you are using bias tape, you will want to fold in the short raw edges 1/2" to prevent fraying, and stitch along the short edges, and open folded long edge.

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16.  Take your bias tape/ribbon, and starting at the left short edge, measure 6" and make a small mark with your water soluble pen.  Continue to make 9 total marks every 6".

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17.  Place a large heart with fusible web backing from step 14 right side down (fabric side down, fusible web side up--remove paper covering to expose sticky web), and then lay the bias tape on top of the sticky side of the heart, with the mark you made on the bias tape in step 16 aligning with the left edge of the heart, like so:

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18.  Take one of your assembled large/small hearts assembled in steps 12 and 13, and align on top of your heart backing from step 17, sandwiching the bias tape in between the two hearts, press to fuse together.

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19.  Repeat this process with the 8 remaining hearts, aligning the left edge of each heart with the marking on your bias tape/ribbon.  Be sure to arrange your hearts in order, spelling BE MINE.

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20.  Once all 9 hearts are fused to the bias tape, edge stitch around the border of each large heart to secure to the bias tape.  You could choose to stitch around the smaller hearts and letters also, but as this is a decoration, and won't be washed, I chose not to.

21.  Stand back and admire your new Be Mine Valentine Garland!

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Giveaway:  Now for the good stuff, here's how to enter to win a $25 gift certificate to the Hot Pink Stitches Etsy shop, simply leave me a comment, telling me one of your favorite Valentines traditions, if you have any (if you don't, any old comment will do!)  Mr. Random will draw a winner on Wednesday February 6th.  Thanks for stopping by!  This giveaway is now closed.



128 comments:

  1. Love your project - great letters. My fav Valentine tradition - at university my mom would always post me a card and a small package or cinnamon hearts. I miss that!

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  2. Super cute Jessica! Thanks so much for being part of the hop!

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  3. Thanks for the project and the giveaway. I really enjoyed it! vickise at gmail dot com

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  4. Chocolate! Thanks for the givaway.

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  5. I love doing fun simple things for my daughter - she still talks about when I dye the cinnomon roll icing pink. I do stuff for my husband too but he's not as excited about it as the littles. Thanks!

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  6. What a wonderful tutorial you have shared with all of your followers. I try to be clever and have dinner that involves red. Maybe spaghetti. You really have to be creative. After all, it is Valentine's Day. Last year I make a heart-shaped Valentine's Day cake for dinner. Thank you for your generous gift certificate. Some lucky quilter will be shopping her little heart out.

    Sandi Timmons
    sandit1@sbcglobal.net

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  7. my soon to be favourite valentine's tradition was started today thanks to pinterest... everyday from feb. 1st to valentines day you put a heart on your child's door saying one thing that you love about them. by the 14th they'll have 14 things to smile about and be more confident in who they are!

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  8. I put a little heart in my boys lunch boxes on valentines day telling them that I love them!

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  9. Thanks for a great tutorial and giveaway!

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  10. Valentine's Day.... I teach Kinder so we get to make Salt Dough Valentine's necklaces.

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  11. your banner is so cute!
    we don't have any valentine's traditions here. It's not really celebrated much in the UK, certainly not how it is in the US. At most a couple will exchange cards and presents and maybe go for a meal, but it is only for other halves, not children or all the children in the kid's class or anythign like that! I don't know anyone who would decorate the house for valentine's day.

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  12. Love your banner.It`s just beautiful.I don´t celebratae it.Thanks for the tutorial!

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  13. I'd love to be counted in for this giveaway. We don't celebrate Valentine in this part of the world either.

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  14. I enjoy helping my kids prepare Valentine's to share with their classmates. And I really enjoy the cards my husband gives me. He says the nicest things. :)

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  15. Well I really don't have a tradition. humm thats kinda sad. Maybe I should start one! I do get my little sweet pea some candy each year so maybe that is sort of one, but I will have to come up with something better! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  16. I don't really have a tradition - Valentine's is my Dad's birthday, so we never really did anything Valentines-ish - we were always celebrating a birthday :) Even now that I'm married for years, we still don't do anything, lol!
    Thanks for the tutorial - I love it - super cute. I would have forgotten to reverse the letters, lol!
    Erin

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  17. I wish I had a Valentine's tradition, but I don't. My husband did by me and my daughter a gift last year, so I am hoping he continues to get his little girl something along with me. I thought it was very sweet of him.

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  18. We don't have a Valentine tradition. Love your banner, it's so cute!

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  19. I always liked making a mailbox for my valentines as school. You know the one, shoebox, construction paper etc. Maybe I should hang one on my office door....

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  20. My only tradition is to eat yummy candy:)
    Jjjcwebb at hotmail dot com

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  21. We haven't any traditions, although we're USUALLY on vacation in Florida on Valentine's (but not this year)! LOVE the sweet garland, thanks for the tute!

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  22. We usually make fondue for dinner. Yum!

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  23. Very cute banner! the only tradition I do is buy cheesy hearts and fill with sees candy for my hubby and get more cheesy hearts and candies or my boys. I leave them on the kitchen table so they see them first thing in the morning :)

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  24. No traditions here. The seasonal garland idea is fun -- wouldn't it be great to make various holiday garlands to give as teacher appreciation gifts? Then their classroom could always be well decorated for the holidays.

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  25. This is so cute! My hubby and I tend to not go out on Valentine's Day, but another day where the restaurant isn't so crowded/expensive and babysitters are easier to find.

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  26. Too too cute and looks like something even I could make. I don't really have any Valentine traditions, other than to eat as much chocolate as possible...wait that is just my daily tradition (hehehe).

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  27. love your idea. Traditons. When the kids where young all of Feb. I would make special valentine lunches, when they woke up and came to the breakfast table they had valentines breakfast (heart shaped eggs, pink milk etc) and a small gift by their table setting on valentines day. The house was all set up "Valentines" all of Feb. We had valentines games and books.

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  28. Love your project - thanks for the templates. Don't know if eating too much chocolate could be considered a Valentine tradition, but that's what I manage to do each year. Thanks for the chance to win.

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  29. Very cute garland. No Valentine traditions here. But I may have to make this garland! Thanks for the chance to win a fabulous prize.

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  30. This is so cute! I don't really have any V-Day traditions so will be checking back to pick up some ideas here...

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  31. I don't have any valentine traditions, I loved when I was a kid and in school we traded cards but that was million, bizillion years ago.

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  32. We don't have any traditions for Valentine's Day. It was fun as a kid, though, trading cards at school.

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  33. This is just great! These days I really don't have any traditions except for maybe buying myself some fancy M&Ms or other candy like that and making an induulgent meal. Thanks for sharing.

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  34. I love this garland!!! It can be adapted into so many different holidays!!! I can't wait to make this with the kids. They would be so good at the tracing and cutting...Love this!
    acambden@rogers.com

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  35. I always get my husband chocolate (and pick some up for myself too!)

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  36. Love the garland! I love to buy my boys (5 of them) cute hearts. This is the only time of year they do not get upset with me on the pink and red hearts. :)

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  37. What an adorable garland! Thanks for sharing!! No big traditions here, but I try to sneak in a bit if chocolate!

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  38. I love getting Valentine's chocolate :)
    ourbusylittlebunch(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  39. My boyfriend and I don't really do Valentine's day, but my Mom sends me a card and a small gift every year, which is cute. Thanks!

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  40. Not too much into Valentine's day traditions, but chocolate any day is fine!

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  41. About the only Valentine tradition I have involves conversation hearts. I love them and every year when I see them, I buy them and munch on the all through the holiday!

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  42. The hubs and I order take-out and watch bad syfy movies.
    megromeo@gmail.com

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  43. What a wonderful craft to make for the house (around a window, door frame or fireplace). I am diffently going to try this. bpfrimmer@yahoo.com

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  44. My favorite Valentine tradition is making heart shaped sugar cookies with my kids and now my grandkids.

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  45. I always make a special dinner for my Mr. Valentine with shortbread cookies cut into hearts. Shortbread are his favorite. :)

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  46. No traditions... Just lots of cuddles with the family!

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  47. I love exchanging cards and making red themed dinners!

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  48. My birthday is the day before, so I love getting lots of love in February. =) I'm thinking about new ones to do with my kids now as well.

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  49. I love making strawberries dipped in chocolate.

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  50. We always make a special chocolately dessert for Valentine's Day. I really like the garland. My son is getting married this year. I think it would be perfect for the bridal shower with my soon to be daughter in law's name.

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  51. I love eating candy on Valentines day well any day but l love the chocolates that are out on valentines.

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  52. I always take a suprise day off and don't tell my husband who stays home. In the morning, I stay in bed or around the house (now that we have baby the sleep in part doesn't happen) until he asks why I'm not running off to work - he gets surprised every time, and we always have a really special day.

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  53. I guess my favorite memory or tradition is passing out Valentines.

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  54. I don't really have any traditions for Valentines, but I do love chocolate kisses. :-) your project is adorable.

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  55. Getting and giving homemade paper Valentine's is my favorite tradition.

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  56. Since I was married on Valentines.. my tradition is you know what.. LOL

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  57. I get my husband beer and he gets me flowers! My flowers last longer!

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  58. No real traditions. Last year my daughter got married on the 11th so I spent the next several days recovering.

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  59. I don't have traditions but I do love and admire your quilts. you inspiration comes from where???

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  60. I'm afraid I don't have any traditions, but one year I actually bought some foot scrub from the dollar store and pampered my husband. I don't know that he really got the sacrifice I made....

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  61. My hubby usually brings me flowers and I make him a yummy dessert for V day. Thanks for a chance to win the blog candy. txjennywren.blogspot.com

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  62. Cute banner. Valentine's Day usually involves some form of chocolate dessert. Can't beat that!

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  63. I do not have a significant other so I treat myself to a special Valentine's Day gift. Happy Valentine's Day to me. Jo Ann R.

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  64. I write letters to the elderly folks in our family, to be sure they get a Happy Valentine's Day wish and something in their mailbox.

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  65. No real Valentine's Day tradition- but the day AFTER, I pick up chocolate at half price!!!

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  66. I love the comment above, smart girl. We have a present for each other on our sides of the bed so when we wake up we have a race to be the first to give our gift. Crazy but fun. Usually involves eating chocolate in bed.

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  67. We don't have any Valentines traditions, except for hoping the day includes lots of chocolate! Thanks for a great tutorial - I can see adapting this for different holidays. Many thanks!
    ellen(at)myerly(dot)net

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  68. This garland is awesome! And so easy to make for any occasion. I love that very year, I still get a Valentine's Day card from my dad.

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  69. Thanks for the giveaway!
    Sil77sews@gmail.com

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  70. Cute project! No Valentine's day tradition though any "holiday" is a teenager opportunity to ask for money! And a reason for me to buy chocolate. Mmmmm

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  71. Great Garland!! Thanks for the Tutorial too!!

    My Kiddo's are grown now...but the Grangirlie's & I make Stamped & glittered cards....& sometimes Heart cookies...or Pink W/Heart Sprinkles Cupcakes! :)

    Thanks for chance to win your drawing!! :)

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  72. I am a Valentine's day Grinch. I don't do much for this holiday now that my kids are grown. My DH and I may go out to eat, or not. No big deal either way.

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  73. Jess, this is adorable!

    I don't really have a valentine's day tradition--not really my favorite holiday! BUT---as an elementary school teacher, it's fun to see the kids' excitement! :)

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  74. Love your selection of fabrics in the garland.

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  75. No traditions except that there MUST BE CHOCOLATE! Great tute - I love the no sew idea of fusing hearts to both sides of the bias tape to secure. Clever!

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  76. my husband always buys me roses and takes me out for a fancy dinner-just the 2 of us on Valentine's Day!

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  77. Love this!!! My valentine tradition is to avoid restaurants at all costs!!! My husband and I always order carry out instead :)

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  78. CUTE!! The girls love for me to send cupcakes to school for the class to share, even though they don't have parties.

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  79. My family always gives me a box of my favorite Fannie May chocolates. Darling banner. thanks for a great giveaway.

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  80. Well, it's not a tradition, but one year, when I was in college, my parents made a poster for me with a poem about falling in love, but certain words were replaced by candy bars. It was really awesome!

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  81. I love pulling out my valentine rabbit I got years and years ago just to remind me of loved ones.

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  82. Cinnamon hearts and chocolate hearts. Yummy!

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  83. I love the banner! Favorite candy - has to be the little hearts with words on them.
    Thank you!

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  84. Valentine's Day at our house means helping my son make Valentine's to give to his friends and making my husband's favorite chocolate dessert. :)

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  85. I love eating special Valentine's candy. Thanks for the chance to win :)

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  86. Oh this is so cute. The valentine exchanges sadly are long gone!

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  87. Very cute idea...and I have the perfect spot. Thanks so much. The only thing I do do every Valentines day is to make my husband a heart shaped spice cake with cream cheese frosting. Thanks for the chance.

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  88. Have no traditions. Just hoping I get something on Valentine day. Married over 40 yrs :) martha

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  89. My mom always sends treats! Great tutorial!
    Aparrish1113@yahoo.com

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  90. I always make a heart shaped cake for my kids. Thanks!

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  91. On Valentine day I try, no matter what I have to do, spend a lot of time with people which I love.

    kamilaglowczewska@gmail.com

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  92. We leave our candy out on the breakfast table just like Easter morning.

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  93. I love to buy valentines for my kids and leave them around in different places through out the month.

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  94. My mom would help all 5 of us kids to make valentines for our classmates - it was always a lot of fun!

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  95. Since the kids have left the nest I like to have champagne and appetizers waiting for Mr. Romance when he gets home from work.

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  96. I love this banner...would be great for any message. Think I'll send one to my daughter (at college) to hang with "Frank" from Halloween - I hear he's still the hot guy in the common area of their dorm.

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  97. Very cute! I'm planning to do homemade valentines each year with my kids for school. One year down!

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  98. I buy some treat for my kids and leave it at their place on the table for them to find Valentine's morning.
    5higgins AT bellsouth DOT net

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  99. I'm starting one this year. I'm going to write a letter to each of my kids telling them what I love about them right now.

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  100. I send my married daughter flowers to her work on Valentine's day every year. Her husband can't afford to yet, so I sign them "from Joey" so she thinks he sent them. It makes her awfully happy.

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  101. HI! LOVE MAKING A HEART-SHAPED CAKE FOR OUR VALENTINES DAY TREAT!
    THANKS FOR YOUR BLOG+GIVEAWAY TOO!

    msstitcher1948@yahoo.com

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  102. I usually like to make Valentine gifts for family and send them in the mail to surprise them!

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  103. I usually like to make Valentine gifts for family and send them in the mail to surprise them!

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  104. I used to love giving valentines. thanks for the chance

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  105. Love wearing a great red sweater and giving out those crazy little boxes of candy hearts with sayings like be mine thanks for the chance to win!

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  106. My favorite valentine tradition is making heart cookies with my boys and giving them as gifts to family.

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  107. I make heart shaped chocolate chip cookies with the kids. Lots of fun! Thanks for a great giveaway!

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  108. My husband and I have our own tradition of going to the same restaurant for their Valentine's Day, multi course dinner.

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  109. My husband belongs to a group called ROMEO'S (really old men eating out). They treat the ladies on Valentine's Day to lunch at a really nice resturant. I always help with decorations and favors. The ladies enjoy being treated so special on this day.

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  110. I always send my Mom a card telling her she's my favorite Valentine.
    My email is simplydelighting@yahoo.com (no reply blogger issues.)

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  111. I love making a steak supper with a special dessert! Thanks for the giveaway! My email address is jenjeb@juno.com

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  112. My birthday is on Valentine's Day so my fave tradition is celebrating with some b-day cake!! Thank you for the giveaway!

    amyd14_1999@yahoo.com

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  113. I used to love making valentines for my classmates in school!

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  114. I love this garland. Your tute is so good, easy to follow. This would make a great valentine for my daughters and their families.

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  115. How cute! That would look great along my mantle! My favorite thing to do for Valentines day is make my boys special valentine bags with candy and a little stuffed animal, (even my 19yr old!), to let them know they will always be my true valentines. I love my husband too LoL.

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  116. Very sweet. Might have to start a Valentine's tradition! Thank you.

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  117. when I was a little girl my momma used to make us handmade velentines each year. some were made out of brown paper grocery bags with lace glued on, others from fabrics with paper glued down to write us a note on each one....loved that so much. conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  118. We really don't have a tradition other than having a nice dinner - whether going out or staying home.

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  119. Cute garland! We don't have any set traditions, but do try to have a nicer meal that night:)

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  120. I'd like to start a tradition... wining and dining;-)
    Seriously though, I always get flowers and chocolates and LOVE it!!!

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  121. The garland is so cute! Now that my daughter is a little older we've started handmaking valentines for all of her friends. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  122. We don't really have any valentine's day traditions but I would always try to get a card for my kids and have some sort of candy or treat for them. Now I am making them little wall hangings or mats for their homes.
    Love your garland, glad to see how you sewed the "string" on. I had made a very tiny one one time and would like one made bigger to go across the fireplace too. Thanks for the tutorial.

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  123. Chocolat as a present! lia.vandenbrand@live.nl

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  124. We don't have a Valentine tradition. Your garland is so cute! Thanks for the chance to win!

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