Don’t worry if all your stitches are not the same size – that is part of its charm!

This project was taken from the Christmas Action Pack.  If you would like to find out more about the Christmas Action Pack or other packs in the range, please contact Helen Neal at the NFWI Unit.

FOLK ART HEART

Materials Required

Piece red felt 40cm x 20cm (16 x 8”) or two pieces 20cm x 20cm (8 x 8”)
Piece white felt 30cm x 15cm (12 x 6”) or two pieces 15cm x 15cm (6 x 6”)
1 skein red stranded cotton (could be shared between three or four)
1 skien white stranded cotton
1 white shirt button
20cm (8”) white ribbon 10mm wide
Bag of polyester stuffing (could be shared between several depending on size)
Needle with large enough eye to accommodate stranded cotton
Pinking shears (one or two pairs per group should be sufficient)

Method

1. Cut out templates around the heavy lines.
2. Take large piece of red felt and fold in half or take two smaller pieces and place on top of one another.
3. Pin larger template onto felt and cut out two hearts.
4. Pin small template onto white felt and cut out one heart using pinking shears.  Save all remaining pieces of felt for embellishments.
5. Pin NOEL and smallest heart template onto remaining pieces of red felt and cut out carefully using small sharp scissors.
6. Stitch shirt button onto red felt O of NOEL.
7. Arrange lettering and heart onto the white felt heart, pin and then attach using white stranded cotton and a running stitch.
8. Place completed heart in centre of one of the red hearts, pin and attach using red stranded cotton and a running stitch.
9. Lay this heart on top of the other, lining up edges and pin.
10. Using just one strand of red thread, stitch together, about 1cm (½”) from edge leaving an opening at the top.  Leave enough thread to attach hanging and close gap after stuffing.
11. Tease out stuffing and push inside ensuring that it reaches the point of the heart.  A knitting needle, used with care, is useful for this.
12. Fold ribbon in half to form hanger. 
13. Pin in centre opening and stitch, closing the gap.
14. Using white stranded cotton work buttonhole stitch all around edge, starting at the point. Congratulations, your Folk Art Heart is complete!

FOLK ART HEART – SPRUCE FRAME

You will see from the photograph at the top of this page that this can be incorporated into a spruce frame to make a larger decoration.

Materials Required

An artificial spruce ring approximately 45cm (18”) diameter
2m strip of red felt approximately 2cm (¾”) wide cut with pinking shears (shorter pieces can be joined together and joins hidden at the back)
4 small strips of white felt about 1cm (½”) and 4cm (2”) long for each flower
Red and white stranded cotton
Glue

Method

1. Manipulate ring into heart shape.
2. Decorate red felt with white running stitch and wrap loosely around the spruce.
3. Using four strips of white felt, lay across one another, as in sample, to create flower and secure with cross-stitch in red thread.  Make as many as required.
4. Place a small blob of glue on the back of each flower and allow to go tacky before applying to the decoration.
5. Attach Folk Art Heart to hang in centre and your decoration is complete!