Parisian Wooden Hearts

As seen in Crafts ‘n Things, Published by Amos Craft Publishing February 2012

The streets of Paris inspired Melony Bradley to create these collage-type wooden hearts.  The wooden hearts are dye-stained with Rit, which colors the wood and yet allows the beauty of the wood grain to show through.  For embellishments Melony used dyed buttons, crystals, glitter tape, tissue tape, stamped designs and a vintage ticket.  Great for gift-giving, these hearts can be personalized for any occasion, and so easy to make!

Living in a small town in South Georgia, Melony has been designing full-time for the creative industry since 2004. Strapped to a cube in a marketing job prior to that, she dreamed of combining her marketing skills and talent for her love of all things craft!  Her work has been published in national consumer craft and lifestyle magazines, including Women's World, Cloth Paper Scissors, Crafts ‘n Things, Create & Decorate, Somerset Life, Altered Couture, Green Crafting and Stitch Craft Create. You can see more of her creative craftiness at her site, Mel Designs.  

Here's the tutorial:

Finished Sizes: 10" x 8" x ¾”, 14" x 11" x 3/4"

SUPPLIES:

• Ÿ 2 Walnut Hollow Basswood Heart Plaques  (Heart Wide Edge Plaques #19012, #19013)  
• Ÿ Rit Liquid Dye: Cocoa Brown, Tan, Petal Pink
• Ÿ The Stamps of Life by Stephanie Bernard, Alpha4Monogram
• Ÿ Ornate Foam Stamp
• Ÿ Black Pigment Ink
• Ÿ 2 Yds. Sheer Organza or Cotton Ribbon, 1 ½” wide
• Ÿ 4 Silver Eye Screws
• Ÿ 8 White Flat-Backed Buttons in various sizes
• Ÿ 8  Flat-Backed Crystals: 6mm & 10mm sizes  
• Ÿ 2 Starburst Brads
• Ÿ Vintage Ticket or Post Card
• Ÿ Recollections™ Silver Self-Adhesive Glitter Tape, 1” wide
• Ÿ Tim Holtz Ideaology by Ranger Tissue Tape, Tidings  
• Ÿ Aleene’s Liquid Fusion
• Ÿ Scotch Blue Painter’s Tape, 1” wide
• Ÿ Scissors
• Ÿ Drill & Drill Bit
• Dyeing Supplies:  Rubber gloves, glass measuring cups, plastic containers (three), foam brushes, plastic wrap, paper towels, plastic table cover, long jewelry tweezers, fine sandpaper (#220), Tack cloth

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Lightly sand heart plaques with fine sandpaper and wipe with tack cloth. Use painter’s tape to divide each heart into two sections horizontally. Use painter’s tape to divide the top of each heart into two vertical sections.

2) Wearing rubber gloves and working on plastic table cover, use glass measuring cup to mix ¼ cup Petal Pink dye into ¾ cup of very hot water. Use foam brush dipped in mixture to dye-stain right top half of each heart plaque.  Repeat for Cocoa Brown dye, mixing in a separate container and using foam brush to dye-stain left top of heart. Repeat steps for Tan dye and dye-stain bottom of hearts.

3) Dip sheer cotton or organza ribbon into Petal Pink dye mixture. Let sit in dye bath for 5-10 minutes. With long jewelry tweezers, remove from dye bath, squeeze out excess dye and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in plastic bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes to heat set dye. Allow to air dry or place in lingerie bag and dry on low setting in dryer. When dry, remove and iron flat on pressing surface.

4) Place buttons into Petal Pink dye bath. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Remove buttons from dye bath and let dry on paper towels.

5) Repeat step 2 to remix Petal Pink dye bath with very hot water. Using a foam brush, dye-stain the back of each heart with dye.

6) When front and back of wood hearts are dry, carefully remove painter’s tape. Place tissue tape on areas where painter’s tape was applied. Stamp ornate motif with foam stamp and pigment ink.

7) Use monogram stamps and pigment ink to stamp bottom of larger heart as shown or for “Paris” on smaller heart. Place self-adhesive glitter tape across bottom of tissue tape. Use liquid glue to adhere dyed buttons onto hearts and crystals onto center of buttons. Embellish hearts with vintage ticket and larger crystals in centers of stamped motifs, using glue.

8) Cut ribbon into 12” length and tie into bow. Insert starburst brad into center of bow. Glue bow onto top center of heart. When glue has set, use drill and drill bit to drill small holes at top of each heart. Screw in eye screws. Cut remainder of ribbon in half and use for hanger, threading ends into eye screws and knotting in place.