By Julie McGuffee

There are so many ways to show someone how much you care. You can give them flowers, candy, or something even more special like a pocket heart filled with chocolate kisses…

You will need:

• 9″ x 12″ Kunin Premium Felt – Candy Pink and White
• Cricut^® Maker^® Cutting machine (optional)
• 3/8 Pink/White dot, gros grain ribbon – 6”
• Embroidery floss – Dark pink and white
• Pink pearl and/or red glitter button
• Embroidery needle
• Felt glue, or Lo-temp glue gun
• Pocket heart pattern – 3” x 9” Pocket Heart C Pattern
• Filigree heart and simple heart patterns here and here
• Scissors

NOTE: Using the pattern, the pocket heart can be cut with either scissors, or the Cricut Maker. If you have a Maker you can also embellish your pocket heart with small, filigree hearts…

Using the pattern, cut one 3” x 9” piece from white felt and one from pink felt.

Fold each piece in half, then lay one on top of the other at right angles.

Take the top loop on the right (pink) then thread the folded end through the middle of the top loop on the left (white).

Take the top loop on the left (white) then thread through the middle of the second loop on the right (pink).

Thread the third pink loop through the middle of the white loop, then the end of the white loop into the pink loop at the bottom. Please note, when weaving a “pocket”, the loops go through and around each other, not over and under. Hold the pink loops with one hand then push the white loop tightly against the top of the slits on pink piece.

Thread the second white loop through the top pink loop, around the second pink loop, through the third and around the bottom pink loop. Push up against the first white loop.

Push the top pink loop thru the third white loop then around the last white loop. Repeat threading the remaining white loops through and around. Your heart will look this and will open at the center.

To make a handle, cut then glue a 6” x ½” strip of white felt on top of a 6” x ¾” strip of pink felt. Glue one end at each side of the pocket at the center.

Create a simple bow then, with a button at the center, stitch to one side of the heart pocket at the center.

Optional: If you like the look of embroidery on felt, decorate the upper edge of the pocket heart with blanket stitch. Use white embroidery floss on the pink side and pink embroidery floss on the white side.

For readers who have a Cricut Maker, it’s easy to cut small, 1 ½”, filigree hearts from pink felt. Glue on top of a 1 ¾” simple heart, cut from white felt. Make two.

Using blanket stitch, embroider around the white edge with pink floss. Leave about 3” of floss at the top of each heart. Attach an additional 3” length of white floss, then tie the ends of the pink and white floss from both hearts together. Sew a button at the top of the heart, then attach the hearts by looping the floss over and around the button.

Notes for Cricut Users in Part 2.

NOTES for readers using their Cricut Maker:

Upload the patterns into Cricut Design Space. Select felt material then change the blade default setting to select the rotary blade. When cutting the hearts, you can cut filigree hearts and simple hearts at the same time. The filigree is 1 ½” wide and the simple heart is 1 ¾” wide.

Place pieces of pink and white felt side by side on the pink mat.

The filigree heart will be very delicate, so remove the felt from around the outer edge of the heart first.

Carefully weed the pink, filigree hearts while still on the mat, then gently lift the heart from the mat with the spatula.

Whether you embellish your pocket heart with a simple bow, or a filigree heart, this is a wonderful gift to show someone how much you care. Not just on Valentine’s Day, but for any day of the year….

You can now find an expanded color line of Kunin^® Classicfelt; Kunin^® Premiumfelt and Corduroy non-wovens fabrics in cut by the yard at your local Walmart; please inquire as to what is available in your area.