xoxo

(I drafted this blog when I made these and never posted it...and now it's almost Valentine's Day! Eek!)

In our house, there is one conversation heart lover and one conversation heart hater. The hater thinks they are better left for crafting inspiration. ;)

I saw this little "wreath" on Pinterest, but there was no tutorial. How difficult could it be, right?

Well, it was a little bit tougher than it looked, although it would probably only bother a perfectionist crafter. And I don't know any of those! The variable sizes/shapes of the hearts make circles sort of a challenge, and my very scientific plan for laying them out proved to be about as useful as guessing.

But I think it turned out pretty cute! You need conversation heart candies, cardstock (pink or red), cardboard or popsicle sticks, ribbon, a hot glue gun (or super glue!), and a sealant of your choice.

What ended up working was laying them out the uncut cardstock and making some Sharpie marks as landmark points. (The scientific plan involved making one for every heart, but I didn't end up using them.) Mark a line at the "half-heart" point of the first and last rows, since you'll want the paper to stop just shy of the hearts on the edges.

When it's the size and shape you want, dump the hearts into a container so you still have the right number. Then cut the circle out, using the "half-heart" mark as the edge. Fold the circle in half and cut out the center, using the half-heart mark there, too. You'll end up with a donut shape, which you'll need to reinforce with either some cardboard or popsicle sticks. (I didn't realize I needed to do this, but the hearts are so heavy...aww...that it will be floppy if you don't.)

Then starting in the middle, lay your first heart circle back out on the cardstock. Just start picking them up one at a time and gluing them to the paper. (Keep checking to make sure they're spaced properly.) Continue until you're done with as many rows as you want!

ModPodge or spray seal the hearts if you want to. Loop a piece of ribbon around the wreath (or tack it to the back) and tie the top in a bow.

(I'm not sure this will be long-term Valentine's decor in our house, because the hearts keep popping off the paper. I guess the glue was not hot enough to melt into the candy? That's why I might suggest super glue!)

~

This was another Pinterest find! But I feel bad, because I thought the photo was pinned as a craft idea... After I bought the supplies, I went to the site and saw that they were actually for sale! Oops. So, I at least credit her for the idea!

This one is pretty self-explanatory. You need wooden hearts, ribbon, paint, and ModPodge. Sand the hearts if necessary, and paint the color of your choice.

I used another Pinterest trick for painting the names! Print out the text in a font you like to fit whatever it is you're painting. (This only works if you're painting on wood.) Tape it on and trace the letters with a ball-point pen. Be heavy-handed about it! When you remove the paper, you'll be able to see the outline of your tracing. It serves as a visual guide but also helps your brush to stay in the lines. Neat!

{Tutorial Here}

Run a piece of ribbon down the back of the hearts and attach with a teeny nail, tack, or hot glue -- whatever works. Then tie a bow using another piece of ribbon and attach the long piece to the back of it. You can also glue on a loop to hang it with.

xoxoxo