ARTICLES Articles 2 min read

How to Make Easy Silk Heart Tags with Beryl Taylor

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When I think of hearts, I immediately think of Beryl Taylor. And not just because she’s such a sweet, warm-hearted person! After the fleur-de-lis, the heart is the motif I most associate with Beryl’s mixed-media art. She punches them, paints them, stitches and beads them, and makes puffy heart embellishments out of silk, felt, batting, and cardstock. And luckily for you, we’re sharing a quick and easy tutorial on how to make easy silk heart tags with Beryl Taylor herself!

With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, I asked Beryl to share an easy yet heartfelt project with you, using her “Layer by Layer” method, as she describes on her Cloth Paper Scissors Workshop. She came through with these adorable tags that are made by layering pieces of silk onto hanging garment tags. I like to keep the tags from new garments to paint them and use them in my work. You can use them as is or alter them by painting over the text and graphics, cutting them to a different shape, or layering fabric over them.

Materials:

Hang tags (re-used from garments or new, plain ones)

Paint and gesso

Silk (squares and strips)

Beads and/or sequins

how to make easy silk heart tags
Sweet Heart Tags by Beryl Taylor

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Paint the tag with acrylics or gesso.

2

Cut a small square of felt to fit on the tag.

3

Cut a square of silk and lay it on the felt. Cut and lay silk strips on top of the square. Machine stitch over the silk pieces to attach them to the felt.

4

Hand stitch beads around the edge of the square.

5

Cut a piece of felt into a heart shape.

6

Cut a piece of silk slightly larger than the felt heart. Lay the felt onto the heart and turn the edge under.

7

Hand stitch beads onto the heart.

8

Hand stitch heart to the silk square.

9

Glue the finished square onto tag.

10

Make a hole in the top of the tag and thread the ribbon through the hole for hanging or attaching to a gift.

How Will You Sew Your Love?

And now you know how to make easy silk heart tags! These heart tags are a festive way of using up those little scraps we love to hoard. And here’s a tip I learned from Beryl while guesting on “Layer by Layer”: make multiples of each part of a piece beforehand, then you will have them ready to layer at a later time. For example, paint a bunch of tags one day, stitch the silk pieces and felt squares another, make the hearts another day, and so on.

Mixed-Media Art Quilts with Beryl Taylor

You could also just make up a slew of beaded silk hearts and use them as embellishments on wall hangings, quilts, cards, bookmarks, etc. If you like Beryl’s techniques as much as we do, be sure check out Beryl’s video, Mixed-Media Art Quilts, for more helpful tips and techniques. And we want to see how you use heart motifs in your art, too. Share your creations with us on Instagram, Facebook, or in the comments section below!

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