Wrapped Paper Hearts Tutorial

Licia Politis sent over this photo of wrapped paper hearts she's been working on and I immediately had the thought, Oh good, another Licia-DIY! She's the idea person/photo-taker and I write up the steps... gotta love teamwork. :)

Licia was inspired to make these hearts after seeing natural, cane-wrapped stars in the shops at Christmas. They look like fun and are easy to do.

Make them as Valentine's Day decorations or as a crafty activity at a birthday party. Metallic paper adds a bit of glam. Young girls can add a jump ring and chain to wear as a necklace. You could also glue one on a card along with the sentiment Wrapped in your love... or I'm so wrapped up in you! 

Supplies:

Pre-cut quilling strips or any medium-weight paper cut into strips
Round object to use as ring coil form
White glue
Quick drying glue
Straight pins
Cork board
Necklace chain - optional

Quilling and paper craft supplies I recommend can be found in my Amazon shop. 

Steps:

1. Make a ring coil as the heart base:
a. Roll a paper strip around a glue bottle, jar, or whatever object is on hand that is roughly the diameter you would like your heart to be. There's no need to glue as you roll, as long as the paper is held firmly. When the strip end is reached, glue it in place.

b. Glue one end of a second strip immediately next to where the first one ended. The two ends should meet, butting up against one another. Continue adding strips to the ring coil until it is sturdy and about 1/8 inch thick. Slip the coil off the form.

2. Make the heart shape:

Pinch the ring coil to indent it. Smooth a coating of glue on one side of the coil, pin it on a cork board to preserve the shape, and allow the glue to dry. (There's an excess of glue shown here for illustrative purposes.)

3. Now the fun part - randomly wrap paper strips around the heart:
a. Apply a dot of quick-drying glue on the end of a strip and press it to the back of the coil. Wrap the strip around the heart until a good stopping place is reached on the back. Glue it in place and trim excess paper.

b. Glue the next strip on the back of the heart ring anywhere you like and continue wrapping. As more strips fill in the heart, glue the strips where they happen to end, overlapping another strip slightly. Make sure the strips are always joined on the back of the heart for a tidy look.

For a pendant:
Make a small ring coil by wrapping a paper strip around the indentation of the heart. Check to be sure the opening is large enough for the chain to slide through. Glue the end in place.

Here Licia has added an extra charm to the chain - cute!

Here's another Valentine project from Licia!