Tutorial--Heart to Heart Valentine Tufted Pin

**This tutorial is intended for personal use only.**

This is a very simple Valentines pin that can be put together in less than an hour. Change the fabrics to pastels and this could be your Easter or Spring pin. How about Christmas themed fabrics to dress up a holiday party outfit. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination.

To make this pin, you will need a needle, thread, embroidery floss, 3 coordinating fabrics, cardboard for pattern, polyester fiberfil, felt, a small button, a pin back, and a hot glue gun.

For the petals:
Cut a 3-1/2" circle from cardboard. Trace the petal pattern 3 times onto the wrong side of both coordinating fabrics. With your scissor, cut out the 6 petals.

For the flower center:
Cut a 1-3/4" circle from cardboard. Trace once onto your fabric of choice. With your scissor, cut out the circle.


To create the cardboard flower center base:

1) Cut a 1" circle from cardboard.
2) With a ruler and a pencil, draw 6 even pie-shaped pieces onto the circle.
3) With your scissor, cut a small notch where the 6 lines meet the outer edge of the circle.
4) Trim the pointy edges of the notch to form a smooth petal shape.
5) With a 1/8" paper punch, punch a hole into the center of the flower base.


Here are the components you will need to create the flower.


Take the first 3-1/4" circle, fold it in half and lightly finger press.


Fold in half again and lightly finger press.


With needle and thread, take a running stitch along the curved edge of each petal, alternating between each of your coordinating fabrics as you go along.


After all 6 petals are on the thread, clip the thread to release the needle.


Tie both ends of the thread together to form a circle of petals. Clip thread close to knot. Set piece aside.


For the flower center:

With needle and thread, take a running stitch around the perimeter of the 1-3/4" circle.


With wrong side of fabric facing up, place a tiny bit of fiberfil into the center of the circle.


Press the cardboard flower center base on top of the fiberfil and draw the fabric tightly around it, trapping both the fiberfil and the cardboard base inside. Tie off with a secure knot. Cut the thread close to the knot.


Thread 3 strands of embroidery floss onto a needle. Tie a knot on one end. Bring the needle up through the hole in the cardboard base and straight through the center.


Bring your needle around to the back and up through the hole once again. With your finger, feel for one of the notches and make sure that the embroidery thread falls into the groove. Pull embroidery thread taught.
Repeat this process 5 more times.


At this stage, the embroidery floss should still be attached to the flower base and it should also be coming out from the center top.


Thread a button onto the embroidery floss and sew it to the middle of the flower center. Tie off with a secure knot to the back of the flower center.


Gather all components together.


With hot glue, attach the flower center to the center front of the ring of petals.


Turn the flower over with it's back facing up. Apply a puddle of hot glue into the center hole. This will fill in the center of the ring of petals and also ensure that the flower center will stay firmly attached. Set aside for a couple of minutes to allow the glue to cool and harden.


Glue a 1" piece of felt to cover the mechanics.


Glue on a pin back.


All done!


Have fun with this tutorial!
Aloha!