DIY: How To Make Sequin Heart Patches

I don't know about you, but I have fallen in love with heart patches! Not only are they super adorable, but they are really cheap and easy to make too. I can't think of a quicker way to give an old top a new lease of life and they pretty much go with absolutely everything! 

All you need to make them is some felt, glue... and sequins! 

Start by using some sharp scissors to cut out your patch shape. Here I've gone for hearts, but you may want to spice things up even more :) Using cookie cutters and a little bit of chalk is a great way to get matching shapes and sizes, but you can always use a paper template if you don't have any.

Once you've cut both pieces out, get everything ready to go as you will need to work reasonably quickly once you've started. 

Begin by covering your felt heart in a thin layer of glue. You need to get good coverage without getting too many globs of glue, because when you press down the sequins it'll splurge out everywhere and make a bit of a mess...

The plan is to 'snake' your sequins together like above. It's a good idea to practice this a couple of times before you start so you get an idea of how the sequins will bend and sit. 

When you're ready to begin, start at the point of the heart. Don't worry about the ends right now as we'll come back to them. Make sure to overlap each row as you go along and be careful to make sure they're lying flat and not getting trapped etc. 

It's actually really easy when you get going, I promise!

Once the whole thing is covered, add a little bit of glue all the way around the edge. Starting from the point again, add a row of sequins all the way around to hide all those messy edges. Lovely!

Then, use some spare sequins to cover up any bald parts. Just add a little dot of glue to the piece and stick it down. No one will notice a thing :)

Good work so far! Now all you need to do is to stitch it onto your clothes...

The best way to start is to pop your top on (etc) and work out where you want to place the heart. Then, take it off and mark in chalk or pencil where you're going to sew it. Once you've done that, try it on again to make sure it's correct (fabric moves a lot!) Using a ruler, measure out where to place the heart on the other side. Take your time here as you don't want it lop-sided! 

To attach the patch to your clothes, start your first stitch on the inside of the top so it can't be seen. The best place to sew and keep your thread hidden is around the inside of the 'edging' sequins. There is a little bit of space there as these sequins are being used to cover up the gaps, and we know that none of that can be seen :) This is the trickiest part but it's important to take your time and persevere as you want it to hang tough! Once your first one down, the second is much easier as you've got a better idea of how it's going to work...

*Ta*Da*
How cute is that? Boring top be gone, that's what I say!

The best thing about these is that they can be attached anywhere! 

Elbow patches are adorable if you're not worried about loosing a piece or two. It's a good idea to hold onto some loose sequins so you can glue them on later if any fall off. 

 If you'd rather not permanently attach them onto your clothes, you could even turn yours into a brooch or a burlesque style fascinator for your hair.

To do this you will need to stiffen the material to attach a brooch / hair clasp so it holds its shape better. Start by cutting out another felt heart and stitch on your accessory. Then glue the two felt backs together and Bob's your uncle! Hidden stitching and a pretty new piece for your wardrobe :)

C'est adorable!

We hope you have fun playing around with this tutorial.  We'd love to hear how you wear yours ... or send us a pic when they're done :D We'd love to see your take on things!

Happy Making

xx