Wreath of a Million Hearts

OK, OK...I know it's not really a million hearts, but who's counting.  This is a sweet little valentine door wreath that is literally an explosion of hearts.

What you need:

18" Styrofoam wreath

Fat quarters of fabric in four coordinating colors

Heart shapes cut on paper

Fiberfil

Fray check

Hot glue gun

Stuffing tool

Ribbon

Sewing machine

Instructions:

1. Start by cutting out different shaped hearts on paper.  The sizes should range from 5" tall to about 1" tall.  NOTE: If this is a project you think you will make multiple of go ahead and laminate your hearts.  This also makes them easier to trace around.  

2. Fold your fabric in half - right sides together; trace the heart shapes onto the wrong side of your fabric.  You will want between 8-12 of the largest size, 8-12 medium, etc.  Make at least 15 of the smallest size; those will be used to fill in blank spaces.   Make sure you are cutting some of each size in all fabrics.  You will need at least 60 hearts.

3. Set your machine to a short stitch.  Carefully sew all the way around each heart.  Instead of leaving a small opening for turning, you will be cutting a small slit in the back.  This step will save you a TON of time, and you won't see the slits because they will be glued to the wreath.

4. Cut the hearts out about 1/8" outside of the stitching.  Whew!  That DID feel like a million hearts, didn't it?

5. Now the not so fun part.  Run a bead of fray check along the stitching of BOTH SIDES of every heart.  I know this is no fun, but it is important.  You want the detail of the heart to be clear when you turn them right side out.  For this to happen you will need to clip the curves of your seams and you don't want the seams of your hearts to give way as you turn them.

6. Once dry, clip the curves of your hearts and make a small slit in the middle of each heart.  Make sure you only make the slit in one side of the fabric!

7. Turn your hearts right side out and fill them with the fiberfil.  You will need a stuffing tool to get into some of the smaller hearts as well as the points of the larger hearts.  Don't have a stuffing tool?  Grab lunch at your favorite Chinese restaurant and bring home an extra set of chop sticks.  Make sure they are the disposable kind; don't take a nice set of chop sticks!!

Here's a picture of the backside of the heart that shows where you should cut the slit.

We are now back to a fun part!  

8. Take a piece of ribbon and tie it around the wreath form - leaving a gap so you have something to loop over your wreath hanger. 

Time to start glueing your hearts to your wreath.  

9. Start with your largest hearts and space them somewhat evenly around the wreath form.  Once you are happy with the layout glue the hearts in place.  

10. Next, move on to the medium hearts.  Start filling in the blank spots on the wreath....and so on, and so  on....  You can see how I have tucked the hearts in and around.

11. Keep going until the wreath is completely covered.