How to Sew Heart Ornaments
Learn how to sew these sweet heart ornaments for your own Christmas tree! They also make a wonderful festive gift for friends or family members, and they are straight from the heart.
It’s early in the season, but we all know how fast the time goes. Before we know it, Thanksgiving will be over, and the race to Christmas will have started. I want you to have plenty of time to create your holiday decorations, so I’m sharing these heart ornaments early. They involve sewing, but I promise it’s very simple!
What does the heart ornament on the Christmas tree mean?
A heart ornament on your Christmas tree means that there is abundant love in your home, and that your family is committed to a happy life. It’s also a symbol of God’s unquestioning love.
Important Tips
If you are planning to make several heart ornaments, make a heart template out of cardboard. It’s easier and quicker to trace a heart with a sturdy template. The directions below are for one ornament. If you are making more than one, it’s quicker to use the assembly-line method.
Supplies Needed
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Click here to download the heart template. After the template is downloaded, print and cut out your heart.
Using The Assembly-Line Method
The assembly-line method is when you make multiples of the same item, one step at a time. For example, when making these heart ornaments, these are the steps you will follow:
- Trace and cut out all the hearts.
- Lay the hearts on the squares, with wrong sides together, so they are ready to put in the machine.
- Cut out all the ribbon hangers.
- Sew all the hearts.
- Stuff all the hearts.
- Close the gap on all the hearts.
- Finish each heart by trimming the fabric.
How to Sew Instructions
1. Cut 2 pieces of fabric approx. 6 in. x 6 in. (This is for the heart size specified on the template.) Trace a heart on ONE piece of fabric.
2. Cut out the heart. Make sure to cut INSIDE the border so your tracing line doesn’t show. Cut a piece of ribbon 5 inches in length.
3. With WRONG sides together, place the 2 pieces of fabric in your sewing machine. Note where I started sewing…on the right downward curve of the heart. Using your presser foot as a guide, sew along the edge of the heart.
4. When you get to the top of the heart, bury your needle, lift the presser foot, and insert your ribbon hanger. Continue sewing. (Back stitch if needed to make sure your needle has caught the ribbon.) Stop about 2 inches from your starting point. This will allow a gap to insert the poly-fil. Remove the fabric from your machine.
5. Insert a tiny bit of poly-fil.
6. Put the heart back in your machine and close the gap with stitches.
The Finished Ornament
Now is the best part. Carefully cut out the back side of the heart. Here’s what you have…
Tips + Tricks
- If you don’t have leftover fabric from other projects, fat quarters work great.
- Use these heart-shaped ornaments on your Christmas tree, or tie them on your gifts as an extra little surprise.
- To make inserting the poly-fil easier, use the handle end of a spoon to stuff it in the heart.
- Use a sturdy fabric that won’t easily fray. Authentic grain sack fabric, or grain sack inspired fabric, works well.
- Thick twine or braided trim can be used in place of the ribbon.
- Make different shapes: stars, stockings, trees, angels, etc.
- If you don’t have a sewing machine, these heart ornaments can be stitched by hand.
- Use these for Valentine’s Day as well!
celebrate the holidays
More Christmas Ornaments + Great Gifts
This post was originally published in 2014, and was one of the first tutorials I had ever written. It’s been updated with brighter images, and better organization, but I’m happy to say that this latest version includes the original tutorial, with just two small changes.
When my blog was very new, I had an Etsy shop where I sold handmade textile items. I didn’t keep track, but I know I made hundreds of stuffed ornaments exactly like these hearts. This method is tried and true, and I hope you enjoyed taking a look. Have a lovely holiday season!
