A Woven Heart
by Joyce Lantz
Sylva, NC
jmlantz2@smallbus.com
Please print this FREE pattern sheet and share with your friends.
I loved these little woven hearts when I first saw them at Dogwood Crafters in Dillsboro, NC. When the crafter retired, I began making them for the shop, a craft cooperative. The originals were mainly red for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, but I choose to make them in many different variations for all occasions. They are easy to make, fun to give and always bring a smile. - Joyce
A Woven Heart Pattern Sheet PDF - size 242 KB.
Let's Make a Woven Heart Using 1/4" Flat Reed
Follow Beth Hester as she makes a woven heart in this video.
Materials / Supplies
| Description | Item | Add to Cart |
|---|---|---|
| 6 ft. - 1/4" Flat Reed - thin and flexible - Weaving | Item 1014F | Add |
| 1 ft. - Ribbon - Handle | Item RIBBF | Add |
| 2 - 6 ea. - Small clamps or mini clips - Tool | Item 8503P | Add* |
| 1 ea. - Insta-Cure Glue 3/4 oz. | Item 8325E | Add |
| 1 ea. - Insta-Set Accelerator (optional) | Item 83ACE | Add |
| 1 ea. - Basketry Shears | Item 8583E | Add |
* This item is a package of 1 dozen clamps
1. Cut 8 pieces of 1/4 inch flat reed exactly 6 1/2 inches long. Make cuts at right angles to the long side. If the reed is curling, assemble every piece with the curl facing away from you. (Be more concerned with the direction of the curl than with the right and wrong side of the reed.
2. Put a small drop of quick-drying glue at the end of one piece of reed, and overlap with the end of a second piece, at a right angle. Be sure to align outside edges. Clamp with a small clip until glue is dry. Spritz with the accelerator ( how-to video using glue and accelerator ). See Photo 1A.
3. Take another piece, placing it under the first piece, and glue no more than ¼ inch from the second piece as shown in Photo 1A.
4. Place the fourth piece under the last piece you added and over the second one, keeping the space consistent, using a small drop of glue on the end each time, and clip. At this point you have made a hole that’s perfectly square at the point of your heart. As you continue adding pieces, be sure to keep your reed parallel and your holes square.
5. Repeat these steps until you have used all eight pieces of reed, four on each side, being careful to weave each one in an over and under pattern. One side is now complete. See Photo 1B.
If your reed is stiff or brittle, this is the time to dampen the reed midway on the heart where you will be bending the reed to form the second side. (Depending on the glue you are using, spraying or soaking before gluing is not recommended as doing so may cause a problem. The Quick-Set Glue used with the Accelerator works well with damp reed.)
6. Turn the piece over so the reed is curling toward you and the heart pointing toward you. You’ll weave the second side by working in pairs from the center outward. Start with the two pieces opposite the point of the heart. Glue at a right angle, aligning edges, as described in Step 2.
See Photo 2.
You now have two identical sides. See Photo 4.
Wet the “shoulders” of the heart and gently bend, bringing the two points together.
8. Place a drop of glue on the inside of one point and glue the points together, clipping until secure. (If this doesn’t hold, a piece of invisible thread will secure this critical juncture.) Closely trim any uneven edges with basketry shears if needed.
9. Tie a piece of ribbon onto the “shoulders” of the heart, tying each side as tightly as possible to bring the individual pieces together. Now your woven heart is complete!
October 2009 • Joyce Lantz
