DIY Personalized Treat Map Hearts - Valentines Craft

How to make personalized map-themed heart-shaped treat bags from old road maps for a delightful Valentine's gift.

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

This is a really easy Valentine's sewing 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, your favourite city or even a piste map of your favourite 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

How to make a map heart treat bag

Step 1: This craft's hardest part is deciding 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 two hearts per treat bag. So you can have two 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.

Step 2: Pin the hearts' wrong sides together. Then, using a sewing machine, stitch around the edge. Leave a small gap for inserting the treats in. I used a red thread as these hearts were for Valentine's Day.

If you have never tried sewing paper on a sewing machine, you should give it away (here are some tips for sewing paper). 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 on a sewing machine before.

Step 3: Next, write "pull me" onto the small kraft tags and add baker's twine. Insert your sweet treats into the hearts and 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.

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, but it was 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 it would be to sew by hand, but you could give it a go!

I 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, which is where we first met.

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

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

For more tips on sewing paper and ideas, check out the paper vase Mason jar sleeves I made by stitching wallpaper samples. Another fun thing to make from old road maps is map paper moth decorations. I also have a tutorial on how to embroider on paper by hand.

If you want more upcycled map heart ideas for Valentine's, check out these fabric treat heart pockets, map heart ornament and brooch or this personalized map heart for couples and all these other fun paper heart crafts. 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, including a free collection of vintage maps for crafting.