An alternate title for today’s project could be “I avoided the work I really needed to do, wandered to the fabric store across the street from my studio, and discovered a treasure trove of sequins and polka dots.” That’s a mouthful, so we’ll stick with the short version. This project wasn’t planned and my step-by-step photos are a bit haphazard, but I loved the imperfect results and wanted to share. The tutorial below explains how to make a basic plush heart. I turned mine into conversation hearts using a cutting machine and iron-on letters, which made the process fast and tidy. I’ll share more about that tool soon, but for now let’s make some plush hearts!
Hearts on hearts on hearts—as they should be.
Supplies
- Fabric with some stretch (I used regular cotton for plain pillows; sequined stretch fabric worked best over foam)
- Foam or pillow stuffing (I used 3″ foam)
- Sewing machine
- Utility knife (a long blade gives a smoother cut)
- Scissors
- Needle and thread for hand sewing
- Cricut Explore or a similar cutting machine (optional, for iron-on lettering)
- Various colored iron-on material (for conversation-heart text)
A note up front: my method for covering these plush hearts is a bit of a “lazy” approach—any strict sewing teacher might wince—but I like the charming imperfections. To start, cut your heart shape from the foam with a utility knife. Make a paper template if that helps. If you’re using stuffing instead of foam, you can skip the foam-cutting step.
Fold your fabric in half with right sides together. Place the foam on the folded fabric and cut around it through both layers, leaving roughly a 2″ seam allowance for 3″ foam (adjust the allowance up or down depending on your foam thickness).
Pin the two fabric layers together. Sew around the heart using a sewing machine, but leave most of one side open—about three quarters of that side—so you can slip the cover over the foam later. Sew the rest of the seam securely.
Turn the fabric right side out. If you want conversation-heart text, prepare your letters in your cutting software and cut them from iron-on material, remembering to mirror the design before cutting so text appears correctly after pressing. Follow the iron-on manufacturer’s instructions to apply the letters to the front of the heart cover. Once the design is set, carefully slide the fabric cover over the foam. This step can take a little maneuvering—stretchy fabric makes this much easier.
After the cover is in place, fold the raw edges of the opening inward and hand-stitch the seam closed. A slip stitch or ladder stitch hides the seam for a neat finish.
And that’s it: a simple, slightly imperfect method for creating plush hearts with sparkly or classic finishes. These little pillows make great props, gifts, or studio decor and they work well beyond Valentine’s Day.
This was the first post from the new studio space, so I snuck into a few photos too. Shooting in a new space can be tricky, but having a few sparkly pillows around definitely helps.
All photos by Studio DIY
Only a couple days until Valentine’s Day, but these hearts are enjoyable year-round—use them as gifts, photo props, or studio accents.
