Make & Share Hearts
Make Your Own Hearts
Spread some love and kindness in your world and make space for calm presence through making hearts. Heart-making is a simple stitching activity, and all the kits come with instructions.
Over the years, many heartists have told me that making hearts has helped them to heal from trauma and deal with anxiety, depression and grief. There is something beautiful about focusing on kindness while mindfully engaging in hand sewing, and the benefits of practicing altruism, self-compassion and mindfulness are well documented in research, too.
Be warned: making hearts is addictive, especially once you see the response from people when you give them away.
Please Be Kind to Our Planet Too
To keep our project eco-friendly, I encourage you to use natural materials for your hearts and packaging. Some of these materials are more expensive than less sustainable options; if you're on a tight budget, I encourage you to think quality over quantity and stay kind to our planet.
Recommended Materials
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Felt: I use only 100% wool felt, as it’s beautiful to work with and kind to the environment. It creates a quality heart that will withstand a lot of squeezing, holding and pocket-dwelling. I only use pure wool felt for my heart-making and all the hearts and kits I sell. If you prefer not to use wool, I encourage you to find an eco-friendly option to suit your needs.
Stuffing: I started out using synthetic stuffing which you can get at craft stores. However, in the spirit of kindness to our planet, I prefer to use natural fibres. You can get pure wool stuffing right here in my shop or look for other eco-friendly options like eucalyptus or bamboo.
As a rough guide, 100 grams of wool stuffing will fill about 100 hearts.
Thread: If you’re using six-strand embroidery thread, I recommend using only two strands when stitching your heart (this is what I do). If you don’t want to split the thread, the single strand perle cottons work well (as long as they aren't too thick) and can be easier for groups, young Heartists and beginners.
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Packaging: It's a great idea to wrap your hearts before sharing them - this allows you to include the 1000 Hearts mini-flyer and keeps hearts clean and hygienic, especially if you're offering them in hospitals, aged care, schools etc. For eco-friendly, biodegradable cellophane bags, I recommend Buy Eco Green: www.buyecogreen.com.au
Needles: I use size 24 Chenille needles which have a larger eye for embroidery thread and are sharp for neat stitching.
These are the needles supplied in the kits I make.Make sure you have good scissors; a big pair for cutting out hearts and a little pair for snipping thread and trimming edges.
Our Heart-Starter kits are the perfect starting point for becoming a Heartist – they come in packs appropriate for beginners and more advanced crafters and are available in our store.
Share your hearts where they're needed:
You might make hearts to share with your friends and family, local charities, schools, services, hospitals and businesses. Sometimes it's hard, or even nerve-wracking to get started with giving them away, but once you see people's reactions, it becomes easier and very rewarding.
For ideas and to make or respond to requests for hearts, you can connect with others through our Facebook group, 1000 Heartists. The group is all about connecting with others, sharing ideas and sharing hearts.
If you're not sure where to share your hearts, you can send them to 1000 Hearts for distribution (we get a lot of requests). Our postal address is: PO Box 206, Blackmans Bay, Tasmania 7052, Australia.
Where possible, please send hearts to me that are made from eco-friendly materials and cut from the 1000 Hearts template. It's best to keep buttons and attachments to a minimum, so hearts can be safely donated anywhere, as some embellishments can be a choking hazard for young children or others who may be at risk.