How to Make Suncatcher Heartstrings with Melted Crayon Hearts

How to create a Valentine’s Day garland with melted crayon hearts.

We love making melted crayon hearts to hang as suncatchers and make a new batch almost every Valentine’s Day. They look so pretty hanging in a sunny window!

We’ve also done this with all kinds of shapes and seasonal ideas (flowers, leaves, pumpkins, stars, buntings, etc), but the hearts are the ones we make the most.

You can hang them individually, and even gift them, but today, I’m going to share how to make beautiful heartstrings from melted crayon hearts.

How to Make Suncatcher Heartstrings with Melted Crayon Hearts

This is one of the Valentine crafts from my book, The Artful Year: Celebrating the Seasons & Holidays with Crafts & Recipes.

Melted-Crayon Heartstrings

From The Artful Year, by Jean Van’t Hul, © 2015 by Jean Van’t Hul. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc., Boulder, CO.

These heartstrings combine the symbol of the season with one of our favorite craft projects and look beautiful in a sunny window.

MATERIALS

• Cheese grater
• Crayons in valentine colors
• Bowls or muffin tins
• Iron
• Wax paper
• Ironing board
• Newsprint or scrap paper
• Scissors
• Sewing machine (or see nonsewing option below)

INSTRUCTIONS

First, make melted-crayon suncatchers

1. Grate the crayons, keeping the colors separate in bowls or muffin tin sections.
2. Preheat the iron on the cotton setting; make sure to turn off the steam.
3. Cut a length of wax paper. Fold it in half, making a crease at the center.
4. Sprinkle grated crayons over one half of the wax paper. Fold the other half on top to cover the crayon.
5. Carefully set the wax paper sandwich on your ironing board between layers of newsprint (the newsprint will protect your iron from being damaged by the melting crayon). Iron the sandwich enough to melt the crayon.
6. Make as many as desired. Replace the newsprint as it gets oily and crayon covered.

Second, create heart shapes

Cut the melted-crayon sheets into heart shapes

Finally, stitch the hearts together

Sew the hearts together with a basting stitch through the center of the hearts horizontally, leaving an inch or two between hearts.

Hang the hearts in a sunny window.

Variation

If you prefer not to sew, you can use a hot glue gun to create your heartstrings. Place a dab of hot glue in the center of two hearts and gently run a thread or fine string between the two. Continue by adding more glue dots and hearts.

Want more seasonal and holiday craft ideas for your family? You’ll find lots in my book, The Artful Year: Celebrating the Seasons & Holidays with Crafts & Recipes, including 23 spring crafts, 10+ summer crafts, 28 autumn crafts, and 39 winter crafts.

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