Icing Designs: DIY Valentine's Countdown Heart Air Balloon

We have our "heads in the clouds" over this DIY, created by our amazing and lovely friend and DIY correspondent, Katie! It is just the sweetest idea and we love everything about it! There is so much to love about Valentine's Day. What it is really all about to us is reminding the ones we love why we love them and this project may just be the sweetest way to do so! This adorable heart hot air balloon houses little love notes you can write to your child each day leading up to Valentine's Day. Just pick a theme like, "I love you because..." and each day your child can be reminded of how special they are! It is a Valentine's Day advent calendar or sorts!! The heart air balloon would hang perfectly over your kitchen table, or in your little one's room, so each day they can pick a love note out of the basket!

Materials:

{The dimensions are based on the materials used, but you can make this any size you would like. Just make sure your "balloon" is proportionately bigger than your basket.}

2 pieces of fabric about 18"x16"

Small basket (the one pictured is from Hobby Lobby). You could also use a small box, etc. if you do not have a basket

Sewing machine

Needle and thread

Stuffing/Poly-fil

2 pieces of cording or ribbon about 48" in length

Trim, ribbon, other fabric to decorate your heart and basket

Paper hearts

Glue and glue gun

1. Place your two pieces of fabric on top of each other and fold in half. Cut out a heart shape, just as you would a paper heart.

2. Iron your fabric hearts. You can attach trim now if you'd like before sewing your pieces together, or after your have sewn and stuffed your heart shape, as I did.

3. Place right sides of fabric together and sew around your heart, leaving at least a 3-inch opening for turning and stuffing.

4. Turn your heart shape right side out and stuff with Poly-fil. Sew the opening closed by hand.

5. Fold your cording or ribbon in half to find the middle and place it over the top of one of the bumps of your heart. Make sure the cording length is equal on each side when hanging down.

6. Thread your needle and stitch your cording in place {stitch around the cording 4 or 5 times}. Do the same on the other side of your heart.

7. I found it was best to decorate the basket before attaching it to the heart shape. You can use whatever you like! I made a little ruffle and ribbon tassels with mini paper hearts attached. I just used hot glue to attach them to the basket.

8. Pin the front two lengths of cording first, making sure they are even. Pin the back two lengths of cording in place and hold your heart air balloon above your basket to make sure all of your lengths of cording are even and the basket hangs straight. Once you have them all even, hot glue or stitch them in place.

9. Using heavier thread or fishing line, cut your length of thread depending on where you are hanging your heart air balloon. Sew a few overlapping stitches in the center of your heart.