A Tutorial and The Winner!

 I thought you might like to make your own book page heart garland for Valentine's Day so to save you a little "trial and error" time...Here is how we made them:


**Cut 1" strips from the old book pages.  We used two books with pages that were 8.75" to 9" long.  We tried shorter pages which made a fatter heart which wasn't the look we were going for...suit it to your taste.  Hint: Take a tape measure with you to your stack of books, to the garage stack of books, or to the thrift store.  Even 1" shorter changes the shape of the heart quite a bit. 
**You need 7 strips for one heart.  If making quite a few hearts and using a rotary cutter like I did, you can cut 3-4 pages at a time and zip along.  
**Cut 1.5" off of two strips.
**Cut 3" off of two strips.
**Cut off 5" from one strip.
If using a rotary cutter is easier to think about what you cut off instead of how long you  are leaving the strips. Then, also, the length you start with doesn't matter.  The length of the strips in relation to each other is more important than the actual length. 
You want:
2, approximately 9" strips
2, approximately 7.5" strips
2, approximately 6" strips
1, approximately 4" strip







Fold the 4" strip in half, add a hole reinforcer (optional, but good for old paper) at the folded end, punch with hole punch.

**Take two of the longest strips...

Ignore my old ugly tablecloth please...I use two old tablecloths layered on my sewing room table to protect the whole table when working.  My table is really nice, but I want to use it as a workhorse bench, so I protect it with the old tablecloths.  Sounds odd, but there is such freedom in covering the whole table with something I can get paint on, rub glue on, etc.  I just shake them out, wash them on occasion, and use them again flipped over.  When I want to clean up, they are whisked away and my pretty table sits there unblemished.


**Sandwich the folded tab piece between the two longest strips.  Keep the text right side up on the long strips and the folded edge down on the tab.



Here the second piece is now on, and you have a tab sandwich.

**Continue to build the sandwich with the 7.5" pieces and the 6" pieces: adding one on each side of the sandwich in that order.

 **Staple.  Or...for mine and for the giveaway, I sewed them with my sewing machine.  However, I don't think you should sew edge to edge with old paper, it may cut it.

**Line up the bottom edges of your strips, beginning with the shortest strip.

 **Do this on both sides and then bring the two sides together, opposite the folded tab piece...

...to form your heart.

 **Staple or sew again.


There you go. 


I used an 8" piece of jute to tie a loop onto each one for the garland.  Then tied them on to a long piece of jute to hang.


And, there you are looking into the depth of a box full of these....just waiting for each one to be strung on a ribbon and placed on the back of a chair at the wedding reception.

I really think making these out of an Anthropology catalog would be pretty too, similar to this one....

So, the winner of my book heart garland giveaway is....


































Linda...of Linda Jo's Obsessions!!  I will be contacting you...  Up soon, more wedding projects!

18 comments

  1. Congratulations to Linda!!! Jill - those really are fantastic! The box full is toooooo fun!

    Have you seen the newest Anthro catalog? I'm loving the photo styling in it!!! And I giggle at the station wagons... I have station wagon stories...

    ;-D robelyn

    ReplyDelete
  2. so clever!
    thanks for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love these! You are so creative.
    ~Heidi

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lucky Linda - thanks so much for sharing the tutorial. I had this bookmarked to figure out on my own. When I saw the tutorial I grabbed a magazine and my paper cutter and made one in two shakes.
    These will make lovely wedding decorations.

    ReplyDelete
  5. these are lovely - and I'm with you on the heart thing - but these are great - I probably like them so much because they're made out of old books! thanks for the tutorial - I'll be making some of these!
    amy of four corners design

    ReplyDelete
  6. ohgosh, I just love these. thanks for the tutorial!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am sooooooo excited! I can't believe I won!!! I am "beside myself"!!!! Thank you!!! And maybe I'll even make one....maybe...I won, I won!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks so much for the tutorial!! I am definitely bookmarking this one. I fell in love with these when I first saw them as your blog header.
    Have a great day!
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  9. wonderful tutorial thank you! I'm inspired to try these! Congrats to Linda! Mx

    ReplyDelete
  10. oh I am sorry I missed a chance but your tutorial is really nice and the heart will look so pretty on the chairs..

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is just a wonderful and lovely Valentine idea.
    Blessings~Hope

    ReplyDelete
  12. i LOVE
    this! thanks
    for the step
    by step tutorial!
    i have totally enjoyed
    my visit to your
    blog, and was
    sooo happy to
    read that you
    are a nebraska
    girl, too!
    :)
    some of your
    ornaments
    for the junk tree
    are just too
    stinking awesome!
    thanks for the
    inspiration!
    happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I found your oh so sweet bloggy blog from Patti of Magpie's Nest just now and have enjoyed page 1 immensely. Off to page 2, and 3... Such a great tutorial, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love these hearts! My husband goes backpacking with our sons on the AT every summer and leaves me home to get into mischief. This year I painted the dining room. He loves it, but we both felt it needed some kind of whimsical border with the earthy tealy turquoise I chose. He even showed me the colors he thought would compliment it, and I'm going to use those to make these hears to loop across the top of each wall. My librarian daughter will get some made with book pages. She's not a heart-lover, but she'll enjoy these! Thank you for the excellent, clear tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  15. how fun, i love hearts! i just made a quick trial heart, and it turned out perfect! you did a great job of explaining the process. I'm going to make smaller ones to hang on my christmas tree, and may use some on gifts instead of bows. thank you so much for this wonderful holiday craft : )

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh I love these, followed Cathy's blog over here. Must make these, look so fun!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Those are just adorable. Thank to Miss Lynn for sending me on. I am anxious to get a good look at your blog!
    Fondly,
    Suz

    ReplyDelete
  18. 1st time I have seen this. LOVE THEM! Thank for sharing

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to stop and visit!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...