Make Something Special for your Valentine with Projects from the Heart

Article Added: 02/03/2009 16:19:07

By Katie Powell

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love is definitely in the air. With not long to go until the day itself, now’s the time to start planning what you’ll be giving to your Valentine to say I love you. To help you on your way, HotHive Textiles asked several talented designers to come up with some gorgeous projects so you can surprise your Valentine with a handcrafted offering – their results are here. Unique and personal gifts needn’t cost a fortune and with the rise in popularity of crafting, there’s never been a better time to try your hand at creating a coveted gift for that special someone.

Valentine’s Day is all about matters of the heart, so why not create your own tokens of affection with these wonderful fabric hearts, designed by Amanda Luke of Amanda Luke Designs? Amanda hand makes stylish and unique accessories and gifts, ranging from purses and bags, to birds, hearts, buttons and badges.

To download the pattern, click the link below:

Heart instructions

The idea for Valentine’s cards and greetings dates back centuries. In Great Britain during the eighteenth century, it was common for people of all classes to send handwritten notes or gifts as a sign of their affection and as printing technology became more sophisticated, printed cards became popular. Today, it is estimated that over a billion Valentine’s cards are sent every year.

Handmade cards are not only fun to make, they are also a unique and personal token for the recipient. Anita Bell has designed the perfect card for your Valentine using hearts and cupids confetti.

Anita is a Hampshire-based designer who creates hangings, framed and mounted pieces, books and vessels using tissue paper, which is either hand-dyed or painted with watercolour, embellished with free machine embroidery and layered using a papier mâché technique. She is a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and also makes pieces that are composed of handmade paper, which she makes from recycled waste paper and thread then stitches.

To download Anita’s card instructions, click on the link below:

Valentine’s Card instructions

It’s difficult not to catch the love bug with so much romance in the air at this time of year. Kay Louise has designed her very own love bug for you to make and give to your special Valentine.

Kay Louise is a mixed media and textile artist with a love for all things recycled. Kay told us, I create handmade treasures for all occasions using old and reclaimed scrap fabics. Through collage and experimenting with mixed media techniques, I aim to create fun and quirky textile pieces that are both affordable and most of all....fun to make!!

To download the Love Bug instructions, click on the link below:

Love Bug instructions

There’s something very special about receiving a handmade gift and Kayte Terry’s lovable woollen jumper bunny is no exception. Taken from her book, Creative Embellishing which was published in 2008 by Collins and Brown, Kayte’s bunny is a great way of both recycling fabrics and breathing new life into an old jumper. Who could resist giving such a cute bunny a good home?! For this pattern you will also need a bunny template, which you can download here.

To download the instructions, click on the link below:

Woollen Bunny instructions

Kay Louise

Anita Bell
18 Sea View Road
Drayton
Portsmouth
Hants
PO6 1EW
Tel: 023 9237 1458
anitabell2@yahoo.co.uk
www.anitabelldesigns.co.uk

Amanda Luke
Amanda Luke Designs
12 Severn Terrace
Worcester
WR1 3EH
Tel: 01905 24516
info@amandalukedesigns.co.uk
www.amandalukedesigns.co.uk

Creative Embellishing by Kayte Terry published in 2008 by Collins and Brown is available from HotHive Textiles bookstore by clicking here.