Heartfelt design
Incredibly simple and oh so pretty! Turning cashmere jumpers into sweet little decorations is a true crafting pleasure.
Cute hearts from an old sweater
INFORMATION Materials
* Old cashmere jumper
* Sewing thread
* Scissors
* Needle
* 100cm jute cord
* Toy stuffing
* Template on page 128
Skill level: Easy
Time to make: 2 hours for all 3 hearts
Felting is a great way to use up any old moth-eaten jumpers or a cheap purchase from a charity shop. Our designer has used cashmere here, but you could use any 100% wool jumper or wool mix (it has to have at least 70% wool to work). Check the washing instructions before you buy a jumper for this project because anything labelled ‘machine washable’ won’t shrink in your washing machine.
For the best results, use jumpers that have dense patterns for different effects, and try enlarging or shrinking the template to create different-sized hearts to display as a set. For a fragrant finishing touch, you could slip a pinch of dried lavender inside each heart, or put a few drops of your favourite perfume on the toy stuffing before you put it inside the heart.
How to make the felted heart
1 First you need to felt your jumper. Put it in a washing machine with an old towel (to add agitation to the wash) and wash on a high temperature with a high spin. Once the cycle has finished, put your jumper into a tumble dryer on a high heat for about 30 minutes. You may need to repeat the process three or four times to get the desired level of felting.
2 Trace and cut out the template from page 128 then cut out two hearts from the felted garment. If you’re using a repeat pattern, try to cut them so the pattern continues around the heart matching back to front if you possibly can.
3 Cut a length of jute cord measuring 30cm (11 in) long and fold in half. Tie a knot in the end to create a hanging loop.
4 Starting at the top of the heart, and using matching or contrasting thread, sew around your heart shape, leaving a gap big enough to stuff with toy stuffing. After stuffing, push the knotted end of the cord into the top of the heart and sew closed, securing the cord tightly.