Crochet Heart Inspiration

It's Valentine's Day today, and although it isn't a day I actively celebrate I do really appreciate the whole decorative hearts thing. Pretty hearts aren't just for one day of the year though, what a crying shame that would be!

I snapped the above photo earlier on today, goodness knows how many times you must have seen photos of my dining room fireplace with this crochet heart garland because it's been hanging here for many, many years. Every so often I contemplate making something new, but honestly I just can't bring myself to replace it because I don't think this room would feel like "home" without it.

This heart garland is rather old now - yep, it's so old that it actually pre-dates the Attic. I know, I know, it's a fourteen year old relic from life Before Blog (14 years BB!!) I had to delve waaaaaaaay back into my photo archives to find the creative evidence from 2008, and thought you might like to see what the colours originally looked like before they became a bit worn and sun faded.

I used Rowan Handknit Cotton  following a free pattern I found online ((here)), and the little button flowers were my own addition. 

Thinking about crochet hearts this morning got me pondering on the various heart-shaped projects I've designed and made over the years, and that perhaps it would be fun to see them all together in one place.

♥ Teeny Tiny Hearts : 2011 ♥

I used to make a lot of small decorative things at one time, and these little crochet hearts whizzed off my hook one day when I had a strong urge to be creative and play with colour. I wrote up the pattern for them ((teeny tiny hearts pattern here)) and then had a lot of fun making them into....

....a decorative twiggy display, like you do. You can read more about my creative process ((here)).

I've actually got no idea what happened to the teeny tiny hearts, where they ended up shall remain one of life's mysteries. I still have the very same twigs from 11 years ago sitting in a jug on my mantel as you can see in the first photo. Maybe I should make some more little hearts?

♥ Rose Heart Hanger : 2013 ♥

I've made quite a few of these over the years, all of them gifted to friends. The one pictured here was made in quite muted colours because I made it for someone who preferred this sort of colour palette, but I think brighter colours would look fabulous. 

You can read more about it ((here)) including pattern details.

♥ Valentine Sweet Heart : 2015 ♥

I shared this decorative heart on my blog in 2015, but I designed it the year before as a project for Simply Crochet magazine. I shared the pattern and how-to on my blog ((here)), and I've seen many versions of it being made and shared online over the years. The flowers are glued onto a heart shape made from pipe cleaners, but I've since found out that you can buy metal craft heart hangers that would work really well for this kind of project (like these ones on Amazon, or these ones). I'm squirrelling those links away for future reference....yes I do think I might need more floral crochet hearts in my life.

♥ Creative Heart Project : 2017 ♥

Crochet hearts filled the summer of 2017 when I worked on a large scale project for Yarndale. I designed some decorative hearts and shared the free pattern to encourage the worldwide hooky community to contribute to a big display at Yarndale, raising money for a mental health charity. 

I LOVED designing and making these pretty things, they were such a lot of fun and the resulting display (many hundreds of colourful crochet hearts) was a huge success.

You can find the pattern here on my blog ((heart decoration)).

And that brings us to the present. I decided yesterday that it was high time I created a new heart in celebration of Valentine's Day, and it just so happened that I've been crocheting some very sweet little spring flowers this weekend. I don't know how it happened to be honest - one minute I was thinking of frosty winter things for a new Winter Garland, and the next minute there were teeny little blossom flowers whizzing off my hook. One thing lead to another, and the blossom was joined by some cute little narcissus flowers, and then before I could stop myself there were violas too.....oh my......it was a bit of a Spring Flower Frenzy! Often times that's the way my Creative Mind likes to work, it really doesn't follow orders particularly well and much prefers to lead me on a merry dance of discovery.

Anyhow. Yeah....flowery things happened at the weekend, some new patterns which I am s-u-p-e-r pleased with and I'll be sharing with you here at some point, if you'd like them? In the meantime, let me show you the Valentine faffery that took place here in the Attic this morning......

.....do you like? The little blossom flowers (two sizes) were patterns I've used before, but the narcissus and viola flowers are the new designs. 

Incidentally, this floral Valentine's heart was arranged purely for photographic reasons as I really enjoy creating visual content for Instagram and Facebook. I haven't actually decided what to do with the flowers yet - maybe I'll buy one of those metal wire hearts I mentioned and make them into a permanent hanging decoration? Shall I???

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Comments

[Donna Philpott]

Gorgeous flowers! I Love them; they would be so pretty on a heart wreath!

[Marylin Ollivier]

Hi Lucy Valentine's Day doesn't really fuss me as such, but crochet hearts and flowery crochet, garlands and wreaths are right up my ally. You've inspired me to work on something spring-like for my home decor. Thx so much for sharing your creativity. Hugs, MO

[[email protected]]

I love all your work Lucy you are such an inspiration and I so appreciate all that you share thank you so much.

[NancyE]

Beautiful - and I definitely think you should make it a permanent heart on a wire frame!

[Peggy Drake]

I really need a pattern for a larger (6"+)heart. Yours looks as if it will work! Thanks so much. (FYI these larger hearts will go to Mothers of Preemies. They will lay on the Mother's heart, then go to their preemie baby to establish a scent connection. Preemies of the Carolinas in the US will get them to NICUs!

[ChrisG]

Totally love your realistic flowers - those Heartsease are especially lifelike and gorgeous!! Happy heart day to a very lovely lady 💐

[Tineke]

Thou shall.

[Louise]

What a lovely Valentines Day/ pre-Spring (for you guys) decoration!
Many of these hearty creations are like a walk down memory lane. Just lovely. I can think of a few people I'd love to gift some of those hanging hearts to! xox

[Susan]

Love all your gorgeous hearts & enjoyed the wonders of your mind making the fingers craft pretty things.
Well done & now I think I want to try a heart too.
A large wire coat-hanger can be twisted into the shape of a heart with a ready made hook for hanging somewhere. Thanks Lucy, take care & hugs from down under.

[AnnieC]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the violas!!! I want to crochet a beautiful nosegay of just them! Of course, I love the other floral designs also but my heart belongs to those lil' johnny-jump-ups! Can't wait for the pattern!!

[Linda from Boston]

I love the violas and yes, make them into a wreath. I’ve made that heart garland (my son took it this year to put up in his apartment!). I’ve made several of the rose heart hangers over the years in those colors. I’m looking at one hanging on a child’s Amish chair by my fireplace. My house is looking a lot like YOUR house!!! Love it all.

[Pam]

I love all your posts, but this one is full of pretty spring blossom!!! Absolutely gorgeous and a promise (hopefully) of a blossom filled spring on its way!!
Thank you for sharing your creativity and fabulous use of colour with us x

[Lynn]

Your flowers would make beautiful brooches. Especially a cluster of them. Spring flowers are just so happy and smiley! I would love to make these flowers. Thankies!

[Rachell]

So pretty! Love the narcissus in particular.

I’ve made quite a few of these hearts, I just can’t remember what I did with the hanging heart. We might have pixies who steal our little crochet things, I think!

[Linda]

I love hearts too Lucy and have heart theme going on throughout the year. I have made lots of your heart patterns throughout the years but I'm going to make your beautiful heart wreath for sure. I love your little heart display it's beautiful and I would love the flower patterns for sure. xx

[CJ]

Oh yes, I think you must, it would be lovely to have it in a more permanent form. It never ceases to amaze me how perfect you get the tiny little flowers. Beautiful. And I really love the rose heart hanger, such a lovely shape. CJ xx

[Christine]

Wonderful post. It's a wet miserable morning and your post brought such bright, cheerfulness into my day. Thank you
Love those heart shaped wreaths, I have metal coat hangers that I use for such things and my mind went racing ahead.... Super project for my grands.... I make the flowers and they glue them onto the wreath.
Please could we have the pattern?

[Carole C]

Hi Lucy ,a big resounding “YES” to the Spring flower heart - the little narcissus and viola flowers are really lovely and the tiny blossoms are so sweet 🌸 Have you thought about bending a wire coat hanger to make the wreath base ?
Every time I gift a pair of hand knitted socks - or occasionally a shawl ,I crochet up one of your Teeny Tiny hearts in the same yarn as the socks/shawl and attach it to a plain luggage label with a dot of glue .I write the yarn details on the back together with the shade colour,washing instructions, etc and on the front of the tag beneath the heart I write “ handmade with love “ .
When I was sorting through my late Mum’s sewing and crochet baskets I found all the little heart labels from the shawls I had knitted and crocheted for her over the years for birthdays ,Christmas ,Mothers’ Day …I now have them in my sewing box 💛
Carole xxx

[Jane]

Such a lovely post! I would love to be able to crochet like that - I would stitch the spring flowers on to the front of a jumper in that exact shape x

[Anna-Karin]

💖💖💖💖💖

[Barbara]

I’ve just looked at the free heart pattern by BeaG and it’s now available in three versions, Including one for the UK, so no need to remember to transpose from US terms!

[Jane McLellan]

Yes, absolutely, it’ll make a gorgeous floral heart.

[Debbi Robertson]

I second the notion of the wire heart! and the violas are especially nice, why, they look so much like the real thing, it's putting me in mind of spring plantings! I also wanted to say how much I appreciate you continuing with this traditional blog, rather than going solely with the "social" media avenues as so many seem to have the past many years. And I'm willing to bet there are others that feel the same! So thank you Lucy, from the bottom of my heart (because all of your posts fill me with such joy!).

[Simon]

Such a colourful post! Love it! I think your little flowers are really cute, especially the Violas! I'd love to be able to hook those😀! And I think the arrangement of them is too good to lose so yes, get a wire heart and make it permanent, I think it would make lovely Spring Decoration!💖💖

[Nancy Woods]

Your new little flowers are so cute! Could you please write up the patterns for them? Especially the viola...I love pansies and violas. I have a goal this year to make some wreaths and/or garlands for my house because I have enjoyed yours over the years.
I also love your blankets! I've made a few of them and have several of the yarn kits waiting to be worked on.
Thank you so, so much for sharing your creativity with us through the years.