A denim heart bunting is a little bit country and a whole lot of cute!
If you have a pair of jeans to cut up, you can make one, too.
I used my husband’s jeans. An old pair. Not his favorite pair. I’m not a monster. The jeans that are past the point of no return and ripped out in not-safe-for-work places. How does that even happen?
Anyway, let’s not get distracted.
Here’s What You Need to Make a Denim Heart Bunting:
denim
fabric pen or marker
ruler or other straight edge
fabric scissors
craft knife
cord, string, yarn, or embroidery thread
yarn needle/large eye needle
optional: pom poms or other embellishments
optional: spray starch and an iron
How to Make a Denim Heart Bunting:
Step 1: Cut one leg of your denim jeans apart at the seams, so that you have two pieces of denim.
Step 2: Draw a heart on the back side of the denim with a fabric pen or marker. The size depends on how big you want your hearts to be. Mine are 4 inches across at the widest part.
Step 3: Cut out that first heart and use it as a template to trace and cut out additional denim hearts. How many hearts you need depends on how long your bunting will be and how close together you want the hearts to hang. I have 16 4-inch hearts hanging on 105 inches of cord for the bunting that is hearts only.
Generally speaking, you’ll get a nice “swoop” on a banner or bunting if it is 1.5 times the width of the area for it to be hung. For example, if your mantel is 6 feet across, you’ll want a 9-foot-long bunting or banner. It’s better to have it too long and adjust it than to have the bunting or banner too short.
Step 4: On the back of the hearts, use your fabric pen or marker and straight edge to mark 4 small lines. These will be your cut lines to string the hearts. Make sure to position your cut lines below the dip in the top of the heart if you don’t want the string visible there.
Step 5: Use a craft knife to make a slit where you made the four horizontal lines. Remember, the slits only need to be big enough to get a needle and thread/cord through. Don’t make it too large. We only need the slit because the denim is too thick to poke a yarn needle through, if that’s what you’ll be using. The slit also makes it easier to slide and reposition the hearts after you hang the bunting.
Step 6: Cut your thread or cord to length and thread the needle. Make sure to have a little extra string or cord to tie hanging loops at the ends. It’s better to have a longer length and cut it down later than a string that’s too short.
Step 7: String the hearts on the cord or thread. If you’re using additional embellishments, you’ll be adding those at this time, too.
Optional: Before or after stringing the hearts, you can iron them if they are a bit wrinkled. Denim can also curl up later, so you can starch the hearts to make them stiffer if you want.
Step 8: Hang your garland, and enjoy! You just made something lovely. Time to celebrate.
While I’m using this bunting to decorate for Valentine’s Day in our office, I think it’s perfect for any place that needs a little extra love. It could be a child’s room, shop window, baby shower decor, school, hospital waiting room, etc.
Plus, I love a craft that not only upcycles and repurposes otherwise unwearable clothing but is also completely customizable. Your bunting is probably going to look a little different than mine, depending on the size and shape of your hearts, the color of your hanging string, and any embellishments you use.
Isn’t that fun?
One idea, executed in countless different ways. Kind of like how we demonstrate love to those around us.
What do you think of this denim heart bunting? How do you feel about Valentine’s Day? It seems like people either love it or loathe it.
Let me know! You can comment on this blog post, email me here, or reach out via direct message on Instagram or Facebook.
Happy Crafting!
Thanks for hanging out with me today. I loved having you here, and I hope you had a good time, too. Here are some other blog posts you might enjoy.
Repurpose Denim Belt Loops to Hang Towels
Denim and Yarn 4th of July Wreath
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