Quick and Easy Stuffed Hearts Tutorial

The fact that Valentine’s Day has just passed actually provides a great opportunity: why not put a little bit of the love and sentiment we enjoyed on the holiday into everyday life? There’s no reason to limit the gifts of love to just once a year. Show someone you “heart” them all the time with one of these quick and easy stuffed hearts!

The pocket is perfect for tucking in a tiny gift, love note, or tickets to an event. If you don’t have a gift to tuck, leave off the pocket to make a simple little plushie that’s a present in itself. I love the idea of leaving these hearts everywhere–on your work friend’s keyboard, your sweetie’s pillow, or even at a table setting.

 I’ve stuffed mine with fiberfill, but you could turn these into sachets by adding lavender, or even into bean bags/paper weights by filling them with dried lentils. Best of all, you can make one of these little tickers in less than an hour, so there’s no reason to delay. Enjoy! 

Materials

    Heart templates (download and print using the link below)
    Assorted medium-weight cotton fabrics
    Fiberfill stuffing (optional: you can also use lavender or dried lentils)
    Thread to match fabric
    Pins
    Scissors
    Sewing Machine
    Iron and ironing board
    Heart PDF Template

1. Download the template

Download and print the template for the heart and cut out the paper template pieces.

2. Cut the fabric

To cut the pocket piece, fold the fabric wrong sides together and place the dotted edge of the template on the folded edge of the fabric. Cut out the shape, cutting through both thicknesses of fabric.

Then, cut two front/back heart pieces from coordinating fabric.

Note: to make a heart without a pocket, just skip the pocket and simple cut two heart front/back pieces.

3. Sew the heart

With the pocket piece still folded in half, iron the fold line to crease it, then topstitch close to the folded edge.

Place the pocket piece on the right side of one of the heart pieces, aligning the bottom edges. Put the remaining heart piece on top of this, right side down. Pin all the layers together.

Sew around the perimeter of the heart using a 1/4″ seam allowance, stopping and starting the seam where indicated on the template.

(Detail of leaving an opening in the stitching as indicated by the dots on the template.)

Snip the fabric in the seam allowance every 1/2″ or so, around all the curved edges of the heart. Then, trim the seam allowance all around the heart to about 1/8″ – but do not trim the seam allowance at the unsewn opening.

Turn the heart right-side out through the opening in the stitching. Use a pointy object to gently poke out the point at the bottom of the heart, and press the piece flat.

Fill the heart with stuffing. If you like, you can add some lavender or other scented herbs to the stuffing to make a sachet, or fill the heart with dried lentils to make a bean bag.

Stitch up the opening by hand using a whip stitch and matching thread, and you’re done!