From kids exchanging valentines in class to breakfast in bed from a sweetheart, there's a lot to get excited about on Valentine's Day. Make this holiday extra special by capturing your family in a unique way: thumbprints! This easy-to-make project is great to display in your house on Feb. 14 – and for years to come.
Supplies
- White fabric
- Red ink pad
- Large embroidery hoop
- Light-colored background fabric
- Fine-tip Sharpie marker
- Red embroidery thread and embroidery needle
- Pen
- Scissors
- Bowl
- Straight pins
- Aleene's Fabric Fusion glue
- Sewing machine or needle and thread
Directions
- Get your family together and, on the piece of white fabric, have each person stamp his or her thumbprint in a row with the red ink. (Afterward, wash your hands thoroughly, right away, to remove that ink!) Let the inked fabric dry completely.
- Once the ink is dry, use a Sharpie to outline each family member. You can add the faces to each person – or have each family member take on that crafty task.
- Next, draw a heart, freehand, around your family's thumbprint lineup. This will be your embroidery guide. Use a simple chain stitch to embroider the heart. (Not in the mood to embroider? Draw your heart with a Sharpie instead.)
- Depending on the size of your heart and artwork, use a bowl (just slightly larger than the circumference of the design) to trace around the design. Cut the circle out.
- Place your circle on the patterned fabric, securing it with straight pins in a few spots. With your sewing machine or hand needle, sew the art onto the fabric, circling around the design three times.
- Add your finished fabric to the embroidery hoop and tighten so that the fabric is taut in the frame. Trim the excess from the back of the hoop. Apply a thin layer of glue onto the hoop and press the trimmed fabric into place. Let dry and get ready to display your finished piece.
