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How to Make Delightful Denim Hearts 2 ways from Jeans

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Denim Hearts: I’m not sure when it all started but you might have noticed I am a bit obsessed with upcycling old jeans.

I can’t resist making things in denim, it is definitely my favourite fabric to repurpose. Especially, for the home and holidays. I had made repurposed denim Christmas decorations and upcycled Valentine’s day crafts.

I even made upcycled denim eggs last Easter. So I thought why not do something in denim for Valentine’s, and you can’t get more Valentine’s than a heart.

These rustic denim decorations don’t just have to be for Valentine’s, I think they will look great all year round.

I couldn’t decide which way to go so I have made not one but 2 different kinds of denim hearts.

One’s a denim heart wreath to hang on your door and the other is a cute little padded jeans heart keyring for your door keys.

The little denim hearts also look great hanging together as a sweet decorative garland.

Both are very affordable denim upcycles that just use scraps. The heart wreath is an easy no-sew project.

Whereas the denim key chains just require the minimum amount of hand sewing. So simple it is a suitable craft for children.

Upcycled denim hearts.

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How to Make Delightful Denim Hearts from Old Jeans

Denim Hearts 1: The upcycled denim Wreath

All you need to make these denim heart wreaths are:

  • An old wire coat hanger, or just some old wire.
  • Strips of denim cut from your old jeans.
  • Fabric Mod Podge or other white glue such as PVA.

How To Make the Heart-Shaped Denim Wreath

1. First, creat a heart shaped wire frame for the wreath. Do this by using a pair of pliers to bend and shape the wire coat hanger. (see the pictures below).

2. Next, cut the denim from your old jeans into long strips about 1-2 inches wide.

At the same time fray the edges of the denim strips. Do this by simply pulling out loose threads along the cut edges of the denim. This will give the finished heart wreath a nice rustic look.

3. Then, paste the glue onto the wrong sides of the strips of denim. Wrap these strips around the hear-shaped wireframe. Make sure you overlap the edges of the denim as you wrap.

4. Carry on wrapping the denim until the whole heart is covered. Then go around at least twice more. This will give the finished denim heart wreath some thickness.

making a denim heart wreath

5. Finally, hang the denim wreath from a thick red ribbon. This will give it more of a Valentine’s vibe.

denim Valentine's

I really enjoyed making these denim heart wreaths. I found the wrapping of the wire very therapeutic and got carried away so I made two a big one and a little one and hung them together.

scrap fabric hearts
Denim heart wreaths

How To Make Small Jeans Hearts (keyrings)

These little hearts are great as they use up all those odd scrap pieces of old denim.

They are so simple to make are handsewn and can be used as a decoration or given as a keyring.

What You Need For The Small Hearts

  • Small scraps of denim from old jeans. I love to use fabric from old jeans with seams running through them, such as on the pockets. I think this makes the denim keychains more interesting.
  • Metal keychain rings
  • Heart-shaped cookie cutter
  • Fiberfill
  • Needle and thread

How To Make The Denim Keychains

1.First, place the heart-shaped cookie cutter on the piece of denim you want to use. The use it as a template and draw around it. Cut out two heart shapes for each padded denim heart.

2. Next, cut out a length of seam or hem from your jeans approximately 3-4 inches long to make a loop.

3. Then, pin the fabric heart shapes wrong sides together. Place the denim seam loop sandwiched inside at the top.

4. Next, stitch the denim pieces together using a simple running stitch. Leave a small gap for stuffing.

I used a red thread for stitching to give the padded jeans hearts more of a Valentine’s vibe.

5. Finish off by filling the hearts with a small amount of fiberfill and then stitch to close. Brush the edges of the heart with some fabric mod podge to prevent them fraying.

making denim hearts

As these padded denim hearts were handsewn, I made a few of them whilst watching telly in the evening with the family. (I don’t know why but I find it hard to watch telly unless I’m doing something with my hands.)

denim heart keychain

This meant that I made enough of them hang them up in a garland as well as use them as a keyring.

upcycled denim heart garland for Valentine's day

You could always attach one of these jeans heart keyrings to a Valentine card for that special someone and write something corny about the key to your heart or perhaps not!

Scraps of old jeans are perfect for upcycling into cute padded denim heart keyrings. Make a great Valentine's gift.

This isn’t the only denim heart garland I have made. I also made some upcycled Scandi woven hearts using both denim and repurposed sweater wool.

Both these denim heart crafts featured in the A to Z of denim crafts, under H for hearts.

Or if you prefer to say it with flowers rather than hearts on Valentine’s day then how about making an upcycled denim flower bouquet.

Denim flowers in gin bottle

I’ve also made some gorgeous Valentine’s flower hearts out of pinecones.

pinecone flower heart

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Kathy Kristofice

    Love them all. Went on vacation month of March. Took denim, cookie cutter and cut out many hearts, bought some embrodiery thread for my running stitch around hearts, liked a thicker stich around heart. Now home and got my 9 yr old Granddaughter making them.

    Reply

  7. Suzin

    Claire, these hearts make me smile! Im making them right now. I really hate to throw out my hubbys jeans so I constantly look for ways to use them. I’ve never seen these before, thank you so much for sharing your creativity!

    Reply

  8. Julie

    I love working with denim too, it’s the perfect recycling medium.
    I love these ideas, especially the padded hearts, they make a really cute garland and lovely keyrings too. I especially like how you’ve used the seams for the loops.

    Reply

  9. Michelle

    These are really cute Claire and your idea of adding the little heart key ring with a corny “key quote” works for me. I think it would make a lovely Valentine’s gift.

    Reply

  17. Susan

    Love these little hearts and definitely on my to do list and not just for Valentines. My mind is racing with ideas and uses for the wreath ‘idea’ too. Thank you for posting them.

    Psst did you mean wrong sides together in number 4 above? 😉

    Reply

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