Thursday 23 June 2011

Paper Heart Tutorial

First off I'm very happy to say my Grandma is doing a bit better though not out of the woods yet but now there is hope that she soon will be!


Ok for some reason my photos are working today.  odd. oh well I'm not gonna complain!  Just glad they are because that means I can post another tutorial!  


I have an old book that I saved from the trash can a while back and I've been wanting to do something with the pages, so when I came across directions to do HUGE hearts like this I knew I had to try them mini sized with the book! 




Took me a few tries to figure out the sizes I wanted to cut my strips and to realize I needed to put ribbon in the middle for them to be able to hang.  But soon I was on a roll and now I can do these in about 5 minutes start to finish if that long!  


First off you you need:
a few inches of ribbon (no too thin or it's hard to get the pin in it)
a small brad (I used mini white)
scissors
2 strips of 6x1/2 paper (for me that was when I cut the top and bottom off the page so I didn't have a large blank spot)
2 strips of 5x1/2
2 strips of 4x1/2
2 strips of 3x1/2
(also will need some kind of piercing tool.  I use a needle and butter knife as my hammer :P  )






now one strip of each paper, long to short, together.  pinch on the bottom so the pages are straight as possible with each other.  I have it fanned out in the photo just to show the order.  I always do them right side up as shown.  that way when I start forming the heart the words will be upside down and people will not be distracted from the heart by trying to read the words.  




Here they are piled up how they should be.  




next flip the pile over so the top paper is the long one.  then fold your ribbon in half and lay it along the paper with the ends going past the end of the paper where you are holding.  don't worry if it isn't above the paper on the other end.  it isn't spose to be.  




Now do the same stacking on the other side.  remember once done the long ones are on the inside and the shortest are on the outsides




now it's time to start folding your heart!  on one side take the shortest outter most strip and fold it down untill the end if level with the end of the rest of the paper and pinch it there.  




contiune doing this for the rest of that side.  you now have half your heart!  don't worry about if it's fat or fluffy enough at this point.  we will get to that.  




now do the same to the other side.  Look! There's your heart!  but we aren't done yet.  we have to make it stay in place still




your ends should line up as close as posible with the ribbon sticking on of the end close to the middle of the paper.  if they are not perfect don't worry.  we will trim them in a minute 




now about 1/4 inch or more up from the end poke a hole through all of the paper and the ribbon.  carefull the paper doesn't get away from you while doing this. 




Make sure your hole goes all the way through all of the paper.  




now carefully add the brad in the hole




and open it on the other side.  make sure when you do this you are pushing on the other end so it's nice and tight as posible. 




now take a big pair of scissors and trim just a little off the end to get everythign nice and even looking




now you can be done if you want!  but I like to add one last step...




I like to fold one side back and add a drop of glue with my ribbon just to give it a bit of extra hold




once you pinch it shut make sure you wipe the extra glue off the sides






That's it!  I the just press the tops of each lay gently with my hand to puff them out some!  Then add a box and a nice saying to the lid (still looking for one that fits.... O.o  )  and this makes a perfect little gift.  or then put it aside for Valentine day or Christmas!  it's up to you!  




Try it with different colour paper, paper with one colour on the inside and a different on the outside, try it larger scale (recommended sizes if up-sized is 12, 10, 8, 6), just try it!  have fun with it!  you can easily make a dozen or so of these in a day!






Hope you guys liked my tutorial.  do I take enough photos? too many?  let me know because I enjoy doing these!  I really like making crafts, but even more I love sharing how I do them so you can enjoy doing them just as much as me!


~Y





3 comments:

  1. These are great, tfs and great tutorial pictures, I'm very much a visual type of girl and these were great!

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  2. I agree, looks great and is very clear to follow!

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  3. Good tutorial. You have explained it so well.I saw this earlier in a book but yours is much sweeter

    ReplyDelete