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DIY Personalized Treat Map Hearts – Valentines Craft

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How to make personalized map themed heart shaped treat bag.

I love working with maps and personalized crafts, so for Valentine’s day, I have made some lovely map hearts treat bags using old maps. These will go with the paper map heart garlands I’ve also made.

This is a really easy craft where you can make something quite special for your loved one by upcycling maps that have meaning for you.

For example, you could use a map of where you first met, or your favorite city or even a piste map of your favorite ski run.

Upcycled Map Heart Treat Bags

Valentine’s day isn’t huge in our house, except for the fact that it happens to be my birthday!

We don’t do the romantic meal thing as I’m more into celebrating my birthday with friends. However, I do like to give my husband a little sweet treat so he doesn’t feel left out on the day.

These map heart treat bags are great fun. Not only does he get a little sweet treat, but a personal reminder of a special place.

What you need to make map heart treat bags

  • Old maps – I tend to keep maps from holidays, city breaks, etc so luckily have a ready supply. If you don’t happen to have any old maps, you can always download some. Pictureboxblue is a great source for free vintage maps. If you don’t want to cut up your old maps you can just photocopy them.
  • Heart template – I used a cookie cutter for this as it’s easy to line up exactly where you want on your map.
  • Pencil, scissors & sewing machine.
  • Small luggage labels/tags
  • Sweet treats
Old maps

How to make map heart treat bag

1.. The hardest part of this craft is deciding on what maps to use. Once you have made that decision, place the heart-shaped cookie cutter on the part of the map you want to use. Draw around the heart and then cut out the shape.

You will need 2 hearts per treat bag. So you can have 2 different maps per bag, perhaps use a map of where you are from on one side. Then use another of where you met on the other side.

drawing around the hearts
Two hearts cut out

2. Next, pin the hearts wrong sides together. Then using a sewing machine stitch around the edge. Leave a small gap for inserting the treats in. As these hearts were for Valentine’s day, I used a red thread.

If you have never tried sewing paper on a sewing machine you should give it ago. It is a lot easier than stitching fabric, I find that paper moves better through the machine.

I’ve sewn cute paper bunnies for Easter and made a paper bag advent calendar before on a sewing machine.

sewing heart on machine

3. Next, write “pull me” onto the small kraft tags and add bakers twine. Insert your sweet treats into the hearts and the the string of the label into the map hearts and then stitch them shut.

I like to put a small chocolate heart or some conversation hearts as treats for my map heart treat bags.

putting treats in map heart
stitching hearts shut
all map heart treat bags


Yes, it’s that easy! If you want bigger treats then you can make bigger heart bags.

I had never sewn paper on the sewing machine before, but it was really easy and fun. I’m definitely going to be doing more of that in the future.

If you don’t have a sewing machine, I don’t know how easy these would be to sew by hand, but you could give it a go!

open map heart treat bags s

I just hope my husband, gets the significance of the maps I’ve chosen for the treat bags. Like Nottingham, the only time my husband and I have been to Nottingham was for a party at which we first met.

Bergen and the fjords are where we fantasize about living when things get a bit stressful. It’s our happy place.

Personalized map treat bag

What maps would you choose? Perhaps somewhere romantic like Paris. You can get free vintage maps of Paris here.

Map heart treat bag Paris
upcycled map hearts

If you are looking for more upcycled map heart ideas for Valentine’s, check out these map heart ornament and brooch or this personalized map heart for couples. Or even decoupage a shell with maps for a unique gift idea.

You might want to check out these pinecone flower heart decorations too!

Don’t forget to check out my other map upcycles and crafts which includes a free collection of vintage maps for crafting.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wendy

    I saw this linked on Party in Your PJs and came over as the heart shown was Nottingham which is where i live! Do you have a link to the city?

    Reply

  2. Rachel Edmonds

    Absolutely love these, such a simple and yet brilliantly effective idea. I think I’m going to make some of these with destinations myself and my husband have visited around the world and decorate the dining room for a special Valentines dinner.

    Reply

  3. Kerryanne

    These are so cute Claire!
    Thank you for sharing them at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring your map heart treat bags at tomorrow’s party and pinning too.
    Hugs,
    Kerryanne

    Reply

  5. jeanie

    Cutest things ever! I love these and boy, do I have maps! Thanks so much. (Coming over from Best of the Weekend. This IS best!) ~jeanie from marmelade gypsy

    Reply

  14. Denise Bryant

    Thanks for linking up at my Valentine’s Day celebration. I love all of your map projects and these are adorable. I hope you had a very Happy Valentine’s Day. Feel free to stop by again and link up your favorite wreath project this week at my Waste Not Wednesday Week 38 link party.

    Reply

  24. Amy @ StowandTellU

    This is going on my crafting bucket list. Love the idea of sewing on paper! Thanks for sharing your tips on making more of your own maps for projects by copying or using ones from the internet. These are so adorable and the pull string is so clever! Pinning

    Reply

  31. Elle

    This is such a great idea! My fella currently lives on the other side of the country from me, I should make him a valentine for him using maps from our two states <3

    Reply

    • Claire Armstrong

      Thanks ! Sewing on paper is really easy and great fun. You could always photocopy your map if your don’t want to tear it.

      Reply

  38. Tuula @ Thrifty Rebel Vintage

    These are totally adorable! When I saw the Eiffel Tower one I gasped. Love it! What a great idea this is. I can see these just hanging in my house here and there. Love anything to do with maps, yet I’ve never done a map project… even though I’ve been collecting them for just that reason. You’ve inspired me!

    Reply

    • Claire Armstrong

      Thanks ! I love working with maps and I’m always looking for new ideas, I’ll be checking out your map projects. In fact I’ve just had a look at your blog and I think it’s lovely, I love your premise of a year of making beautiful things.

      Reply

  43. creativejewishmom/sara

    love love love it, and yes sewing with paper is fabulous, now go and make some garlands of map shapes sewn together! just sad that you have to destroy the lovely little package to get the treat out….thanks so much for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!

    Reply

  46. Collette

    These are gorgeous! My birthday is the 15th so we have the same take on Valentine’s Day – but these are lovely. My husband is from Derby – just near Nottingham. Small world!

    Reply

  51. Donna H

    I love these. They’re so charming, I would hate to tear them open 🙂 Might instead fill them with lavender and use them as sachets. Thanks for sharing this wonderful project!

    Reply

    • Claire Armstrong

      Thanks ! That would be a good idea too. They are made with paper so are disposable, if you’re worried about your old maps you could always make these with photocopies.

      Reply

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