Heart Garland

Every month I look forward to finding Family Fun Magazine in my mailbox.  If you have children in your life, this magazine is a must.  Great for craft ideas, recipes, and all around great read.  



Logan displays the pink heart garland made for Caitlyn

FFM's February issue has many excellent Valentine's Day ideas including Heart Garland made from paper towel rolls.  I rummaged through my recycling bin (luckily the snow came this week on garbage day or my recycling bins would have been empty) and found 2 paper towel rolls and 1 toilet paper roll.

My little helper Logan was more than pleased when I told him that he was going to get to be a painter.  He "loooves to paint".  Once an old t-shirt was on him and the table was covered in newspaper, the painting began.

True to Logan, he only wanted to paint with yellow (yellow is his "faaaavorite color").  After letting him use yellow on the first roll, I did try to persuade him into a traditional Valentine's Day color for the second one, but he still chose green. 

Logan's yellow and green pattern

I painted the last roll pink.  Logan wasn't thrilled with that because "pink is for girls", but decided it would be okay if he made it for his friend Caitlyn.  So that explains the first photo;  Logan with his proud face holding the pink garland he can't wait to give Caitlyn.  L-O-V-E!

I strung all of the hearts and beads, it was pretty easy, 10 minutes per strand.   A second grader could do this step independently after  proper instruction.

Supplies

• Paper towel or toilet paper rolls
• Paint and brush
• Scissors
• Embroidery Floss and needle
• Beads (I used Pearler beads because we have LOTS of them and the needle easily goes through them)

Make the Parts

1. Paint the towel rolls one solid color.  You can paint both the inside and outside, Logan just painted the outside and left the inside natural.  Allow it to dry. 
2. Push the towel roll down to flatten it.  Cut the roll into 1 inch sections.
3. Take a section, push one folded end into the center of the shape, and you'll create an instant heart.  Do this to all of the pieces (pinching the folds helps to keep the heart shape).
4. Cut a length of Embroidery floss, I used my wing span as a measurement.  Thread the floss onto a needle. (Be sure that your chosen bead allows the needle's eye to pass through it.)

   

Beads are snug against heart

 Assemble the Parts

1. Take a bead, slide it onto the needle and run it down the length of the floss until it reaches about an inch from the bottom. Take the needle and put it through the same bead and pull until the floss is taut.  This step anchors the bead onto the string. 
2. Now you're ready for a heart.  Push the needle through the bottom fold of the heart and up through the top fold of the heart. 
3. Slide the heart down the floss to meet the bead. 
4. Slide another bead onto the string all the way down to the top of the heart.  To keep the heart's shape, press the bead snug against  the heart's crevice.  Anchor the bead in place by sliding the needle through the bead again until the floss is taut.  Repeat these steps until you run out of floss or hearts.



Scrap-booking paper hearts

Double sided scrap-booking paper works great too.  Cut paper into a 6X12 inch piece.  Cut that piece into 1X6 inch sections.  Fold 1X6 inch strip in half, that fold is the heart's bottom.  Curl the two ends in towards each other and hot glue to make the heart's crevice.  Repeat the assembly steps.

What kind of pattern can you make with the hearts and beads?

Enjoy,
Tracey