Hope Heart Kits

I'm excited to say that I have put the finishing touches on my Hope Hearts kits, and they are now readily available to anyone who requests one!

 In case you missed my previous post on this subject, let me explain:  Hope Hearts are handmade stuffed fabric hearts that are meant to represent hope and encouragement to someone who is seriously ill.  They are made by the friends and family of a person who is sick, to provide an emotional lift.  Having a jar full of hearts nearby offers a constant reminder of the love and support of those who care about him or her.  Sooner or later, many of us will know someone who is undergoing chemotherapy or some other type of frightening medical treatment, and we want to do SOMETHING for that person.  This is one way for crafty-minded people to help.

I'm offering a free starter kit to anyone who would like to organize a jar of hearts for someone. Just email  me your mailing address (leslieandersen4@gmail.com) and I will send you my starter kit--for FREE!  Because it is my pleasure and my honor to be able to help support anyone facing a health crisis.


Here's what you get in the kit:

--A printout with general instructions and ideas for making hearts
--Cardboard templates for three different sizes and shapes of hearts
--Three finished hearts (one from each template, so you have examples of finished hearts and you have a head start on filling your jar).

If you want to jump right in without waiting for the kit to arrive in the mail, you will find the directions below.  They include outlines of the hearts so you can make your own templates. I have also created a step-by-step tutorial for making a stuffed heart for those who are new to sewing; you can find it at the very top of this page where it says  "How to Sew a Heart" .

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Hope Hearts

Hand-made hearts are very simple, but a group of them, made by loving hands, can provide a huge emotional boost to someone who is sick.  Each heart represents the caring thoughts and prayers of the person who made it, and a jar full of them is a significant and tangible sign of support.

How To Make Hearts

Your jar of hearts will be especially meaningful to the sick person if many people contribute to it, so round up friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to help.  There will be many levels of sewing skill, and many different fabrics and embellishments, which will make the jar unique and interesting.  Even someone who has never sewn before can make a heart.

Sew a Heart

1.  Start by tracing a heart shape onto the WRONG side of a piece of fabric.  You can use one of the templates included with these instructions, or make your own (simply fold a sheet of paper in half, and cut a half-heart on the fold.  Hearts come in lots of sizes and shapes, but if you don’t like the shape you just cut, re-fold and cut it again.)

2.  Cut out the heart, leaving at least ¼” of fabric beyond the drawn line for seam allowance.  The seam allowance doesn’t have to be perfectly even. 

3.  Decorate the front of the heart.  It usually works best to add words or flat decorations to the heart before you sew it, but bulkier things, like buttons and beads, can make it hard to sew the seam, so you should add them after the heart is sewn.  (There’s more about decorating in the next section.)  Remember not to add decoration in the seam allowance area.

4.  Layer the decorated front on top of another piece of fabric (which will be the back of the heart) and trim the second fabric to about the same size as the first.  Take a moment to sign your name on this second piece of fabric; that way the recipient will know who made it when it’s mixed with the other hearts.  Pin the two pieces together with the RIGHT sides facing each other.  Sew right on the drawn line, either by hand with a simple straight stitch, or by machine; be sure to leave an opening on one side.  The smaller/shorter your stitches are, the more smooth the finished curves of the heart will be.

5.  Clip the fabric at the top of the heart right between the two curves, where it dips down in a “v”.  Cut almost to the line of sewing, but don’t cut through the seam!  Turn the heart right side out through the opening you left on one side.  You might want to use a pencil or chop stick, inserted into the opening, to push out the top curves and the bottom point of the heart.

4.  Stuff the heart.  The standard filling is polyester stuffing that is sold in fabric or craft stores, but you could use other things, like cotton balls (pull them apart and fluff them up a bit) or fabric scraps (cut them into small pieces).  Avoid the temptation to fill the heart with lavender or anything scented; people undergoing medical treatment often have an altered sense of smell, so something that ordinarily would be pleasant can smell terrible to them.

5.  Hand-sew the opening closed.

Decorating

There are endless ways you can decorate your hearts; I will mention just a few.  Try to incorporate words or images that have special meaning to the individual.  The words “hope”, “strength”, “love” and “courage” are always appropriate.

Adding Words:

--Fabric markers or fabric paint pens.  You can write directly on the heart, or on a piece of white fabric that you sew onto the heart.  If you are not familiar with a product, test it on a scrap of fabric before using it on your heart.

--Did you know you can iron fabric onto freezer paper and feed it into your computer printer? That way you can print words or images directly from the computer.  You can cut out those images or words and sew them onto the heart, or make the heart from the fabric you printed.

--Rubber stamp alphabet letters are a good way to write out a single word or short phrase.

--Fine line art markers, such as Sakura Micron markers (available at office supply stores or craft stores) are perfect for writing longer phrases, or writing a single word on a small heart.  I prefer to make my heart of a bright fabric, then write the word on white fabric and sew it to the heart.  These markers are the ones I use the most.

Other Embellishments:

--metal charms are available in lots of different shapes, so you could easily choose something with special meaning, such as a favorite animal, hobby or religious emblem.

--beads and buttons add interesting detail when sewn on a heart.

--Baker’s twine, ribbon, or cord look nice added to the top.

--rubber stamp images of favorite things can be stamped right onto the heart.

Displaying the Hearts:
A large, clear glass canister-style jar with a lid works best for displaying these hearts.  You can find these in the kitchen section of most department stores.  Another way to show them off is to string them on ribbon or cord and hang them high on the wall as garland.

Whether your heart is plain or fancy, the important thing is that you make it with love.