It’s nearly impossible to visit a store or browse an online shop without being bombarded by hearts these days. Obviously, it is the annual run-up to Valentine’s Day. While the merits of the actual day may be debatable, I’m a sucker for a heart motif. It’s a simple shape which can be executed in thousands of fun and interesting ways.
For instance, last year, I made a one-of-a-kind, leather bag accessory featuring a charming red heart.
I shared the step-by-step instructions for this project in the blog post Charming Leather Heart Bag Charm – DIY Tutorial.
Two years ago, I made a set of felt hearts designed for juggling.
Step-by-step instructions for the hearts, along with a cute drawstring storage bag, were shared in the post Valentine’s Juggling Hearts – DIY Tutorial.
In my last post, Fused Glass: From Fan to Maker, I shared my experience learning about fused glass. My first project was a small heart ornament.
When I looked back through my FanningSparks’ blog posts, I was surprised by the number of hearts that have appeared. One of my all-time favorite projects is this silver filigree heart pendant which I made under the guidance of a master filigree artist in Gondomar, Portugal.
António and Rosa Cardoso make and sell beautiful filigree jewelry in silver and gold under the brand of AC Filigranas. Shown below is one of their spectacular filigree necklaces featuring a traditional Portuguese design called the Viana heart. The Viana heart is a stylized heart shape, with the flame at the top of the heart symbolizing passion and the sweep of the heart’s tip pointing towards the wearer’s own heart. Check out the blog post, Making Curls and Swirls with a Filigree Master, for the full story.
Hearts pop up in a few of the other projects I’ve shared. There’s a tiny heart hidden inside a trinket box I made from a repurposed vintage bangle. See the blog post, Vintage Bangle to Keepsake Box – DIY Tutorial, for step-by-step instructions to transform any bangle bracelet into a small box for your treasures.
An experiment with fabric dyes led to the set of woven paper hearts shown below. The simple hearts were a fun way to illustrate the effects of dyeing handmade paper. See the blog post, Experimenting with Fabric Dye, for more information.
One of my most ambitious projects was a collection of handmade ceramic tiles. My objective was to create a dozen tiles using different decorative techniques and designs. It was inevitable that one of the tiles would feature a heart! The heart tile hangs in the middle of the bottom row.
The heart tile can be seen more clearly in this close-up photo comparing carving methods. See Still Talking About Tiles! for the full story on how I made these decorative tiles.
My project was inspired by the beautiful tiles, called azulejos in Portuguese, which I saw in Portugal. Azulejos, typically designed in repeating patterns, cover the facades of churches, shops, businesses, homes and other buildings. The designs and colors are spectacular. Shown below is just one example—an intricate pattern incorporating the heart motif. See my blog post, Talk About Tiles!, for the full story along with lots of photos.
I also spotted a heart motif in these amazing wrought iron door inserts in Caminha, Portugal. Check out Lines and Patterns in Wrought Iron for lots of wrought iron gorgeousness.
Interestingly, heart shapes are not limited to handmade items—they also appear in the natural world. A well-known example is the bloom of the Bleeding Heart perennial flower. There are a few different varieties but, I believe, the one shown below is an Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis). When the Bleeding Heart blooms, a row of puffy, little, pink hearts dangles below the main stem. So pretty!
The all-white version, Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba‘, is equally stunning.
With a sharp eye, it’s possible to find heart shapes in other natural elements. My mother-in-law, who amongst her many talents is particularly skilled at spotting heart-shaped stones, got me hooked. I’m always on the lookout for hearts along shores and riverbanks. This plump, grey heart was spotted on Lawrencetown Beach in Nova Scotia.
Admittedly, sometimes it takes a little imagination to actually see a heart. This thin, multi-colored heart, spotted along the Margaree River in Nova Scotia, is a case in point.
No imagination was needed, however, to spot this next heart shape. The unusual rock was propped up near the Brier Island Lighthouse in Nova Scotia. Check out the blog post Solid as a Rock to learn about the geological heritage of Nova Scotia,
All these hearts—handmade and organic, standalone and repeated, shapes and forms, simple and complex—are inspiring me to discover new ways to incorporate hearts into my next projects. To add a little incentive, I’ve set a maker challenge for myself—create at least 3 different projects featuring hearts before Valentine’s Day. You could say I’ve set my heart on it!
More Info
The following FanningSparks’ blog posts are mentioned in this post:
. Charming Leather Heart Bag Charm – DIY Tutorial
. Valentine’s Juggling Hearts – DIY Tutorial
. Fused Glass: From Fan to Maker
. Making Curls and Swirls with a Filigree Master
. Vintage Bangle to Keepsake Box – DIY Tutorial
. Still Talking About Tiles!
. Experimenting with Fabric Dye
. Lines and Patterns in Wrought Iron
. Talk About Tiles!
. Solid as a Rock.
UPDATE Feb 7, 2023: Check out my progress on the FanningSparks Maker Challenge to create at least three different projects featuring hearts before Valentine’s Day.
. See the blog post, Maker Heart Challenge #1: Hearty File Storage Boxes, for my first response to the challenge.
. See the blog post, Maker Heart Challenge #2: Broken Heart Trivet, for my second response to the challenge.
. See the blog post, Maker Heart Challenge #3: Froufrou Sachet – DIY Tutorial, for my third response the challenge.
. See the blog post, Maker Heart Challenge Bonus: Ceramic Valentine’s Heart Box, for my fourth, and bonus, response to the challenge.
Today’s Takeaways
1. The heart motif is a simple shape which can be executed in thousands of fun and interesting ways.
2. Heart shapes and forms can be handmade, organic, standalone, repeated, simple or complex.
3. Consider incorporating a heart motif into your next maker project.
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