Tools and Materials
Washer and dryer
Laundry detergent
Scissors
Sewing pins
Discarded 100 percent wool sweaters in a variety of colors
Yarn in a complementary color
Hand-sewing needle with an eye large enough to thread yarn
Heart template
Heart-Felted Scarf How-To
1. Shrink and felt sweaters: Wash the sweaters in a washing machine with plenty of detergent and hot water. Some sweaters may require several washings to get the best result. Dry in clothes dryer on high heat.
2. Download and print heart template; cut out heart shape.
3. Pin heart template to a felted sweater and cut around the shape.
4. Repeat, cutting hearts from the felted sweater material, until you have 28 hearts -- enough to make a 5 1/2-foot scarf.
5. On a flat surface, lay down 14 of the hearts in a column, with 2 inches between each heart. The hearts should all point in the same direction and vary in color.
6. With the remaining 14 hearts, layer another column on top of the first, starting 2 inches above the bottom of the first column. The hearts in the top column should overlap the hearts in the bottom column, creating a continuous scarf.
7. When you are happy with the layout of your scarf, secure it by pinning the hearts together where they overlap.
8. With yarn threaded on a needle and knotted at one end, hand-sew an X with diagonal stitches where the first heart overlaps the second. Start from between the 2 hearts, bringing the needle up through only one of the hearts, to hide the starting knot between them. To create an X that is seen from both sides of the scarf, pass the needle between the 2 hearts when it is necessary to make a stitch that is not diagonal. Tie off yarn between the 2 hearts to hide the ends.
9. Repeat the X stitches at every overlap until the scarf is completed.
Heart-Felted Scarf
This lovely heart-felted scarf from Betz White makes a wonderful and warm Valentine's Day gift.
The Martha Stewart Show, January 2008
@firsttimecrafter: twas wondering the same thing- have you tried? not sure if any notification for follow up commts- my email:: amberduron@gmail.com
May I use felt rather than old sweaters for this scarf? It won't be affected by the yarn/thread, will it? Also, how many yards of felt would I need?
Thanks!
CONT. Purlingqueen: They should be pretty cheap. I sell on eBay. I have two sweaters that are Valentine colors, they are not listed at the moment. You can view my store at 207sandi.
iheartbaking:You can use craft felt but know that it is not made from wool like the sweaters. Washing the wool in hot water, then shrinking it in the dryer is called felting, not the same as craft felt.
Woah, I just realized some of the comments are a year old but some are current!!
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Purlingqueen: Have you tried thrift stores or yard sales? Then there is eBay!! You can actually request items that you are looking for on eBay and you could note that you could use ones with holes that are not suitable for any other reason than to felt them. So I would think they would be pretty cheap.
I sell on eBay
felted sweaters would be heavier than traditional craft felt so it would lay better on the neck, however if it were for a child say, the craft felt would probably be fine but I do think it would look more chinzy--not as rich-- in craft felt as they are not patterned just plan and thin.
Does anyone know about how many hearts you can get out of an average size adult sweater?
I made the heart scarfs for valentine gifts for my five granddaughters. Purchased five wool sweater from the Goodwill for about $6.00. Fun project
I made one todaya from felt squares from my crafts store. Turned out nice!!
Hello, Does anybody know if you can use felt from a craft store for this? Would it not have the same effect?
My mom and I went to the Goodwill/Salvation Army and we found several sweaters. We purchased a couple that were 70-90% wool and they felted nicely. The scarf turned out super cute!
I live in Southern California and haven't been able to find old wool sweaters. Does anyone have any ideas on where to find them?
I altered this idea and cut out several circles of varying sizes in order to make an absolutely adorable scarf . . . it took so little time
I altered this idea and cut out several circles of varying sizes in order to make an absolutely adorable scarf . . . it took so little time
I altered this idea
Loved it got out all my old sweaters, even started the knitting machine for colors I did not have. Making one for all my friends this weekend.
Saw the segment and what a lovely idea. Good for those special sweaters that one does not wear any more because they are a tad outdated but you still hate to part with. Memories around your neck, like a hug from love ones.
check out Betz White's website for pictures. it is so cute.
check out Betz White's website for pictures. it is so cute.
check out Betz White's website for pictures. it is so cute.
Would be great to have some pictures to go along with the instructions!