I have wanted to make these since last year when I spotted them on my friend's sister-in-law's blog. She has a bunch of cute ideas - I love her hand made Valentine's Decorations. See her pouch and decor HERE.
I'm planning to make February a month of love at my house, and will make a mail pouch for every member of my family. I will leave a little something in every one's pouches every day, and will encourage the rest of my family to do the same. I hope this will help my kids focus on doing something nice for each other and us, rather than fighting over toys!!
I don't really have the patience to make tutorials, but since I had to make a template for myself, I thought I might as well share. I hope you don't mind my ghetto looking tutorial! :)
To make six Valentine Mail Pouches you'll need:
Card stock to make your template
Red Felt - Enough to make six hearts
White Felt - 1 1/2 yards
Embroidery Floss for the names (I used black, but I almost wish I used white, and then outlined my envelope with red thread...)
Ribbon - For each pouch you'll need two pieces about 47 inches long (but you could use felt and velcro for the straps as well)
I used a sewing machine on this, but really you could get away with just using hot glue...
First you need to measure the backs of the chairs you plan to put the envelopes on, and decide how big you want your envelopes to be. My chairs are pretty standard, and I decided to use a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 paper for my template.
Let's begin!
1. Start with three pieces of card stock and label them with a number 1, 2, and 3.
2. Your #1 piece is one whole piece of card stock - that is the back of your envelope. Here are the measurements for the envelope flap, #2:
3. The measurements of the pocket, #3:
4. Cut along the black lines to have your finished template.
5. You can use the discarded piece of your #2 to make your heart template:
5. You can use the discarded piece of your #2 to make your heart template:
Fold over one side, draw the sized heart you want and cut it out.
You just want to make sure your heart fits how you want it on top of your envelope piece (#2).
6. Trace your heart template on a folded piece of red felt and cut out your hearts.
You just want to make sure your heart fits how you want it on top of your envelope piece (#2).
6. Trace your heart template on a folded piece of red felt and cut out your hearts.
7. Write the names on the hearts and embroider them. (I just roughly stitched mine, nothing fancy)
11. Stitch over those lines on piece #3. (Notice I don't go all the way to the corners, so they'll match up with all of the seams.)
12. Now cut your ribbon: You'll need two pieces both 47 inches long. Seal the cut pieces of your ribbon over a candle flame to prevent fraying. You'll need to figure out how your ribbon will fit on your envelope, by seeing how long of ribbon you'll need on each side to hang over your chair. I left 13 inches of ribbon on one side from the bottom, and 25 1/2 inches from the top of the envelope. Place your ribbon 1 1/4 inches from the edges of your envelope (piece #1) and pin. Do both sides.
8. Next, trace all of your pouch template pieces onto white felt and cut out all of your white pieces.
9. Start with your envelope piece (#2), and pin your heart where you want it to go, and stitch around the heart, and the sides and bottom of your envelope flap. (Make sure you take note of the distance from your needle so your envelope borders can all be the same.)
Don't do the top - you make that seam when you are completing the envelope.
10. Take your #3 piece and find the middle (5.5 inches in across, and 3 inches down), and make a mark. Take your ruler from both corners to the middle and draw the lines that you will stitch over.
11. Stitch over those lines on piece #3. (Notice I don't go all the way to the corners, so they'll match up with all of the seams.)
12. Now cut your ribbon: You'll need two pieces both 47 inches long. Seal the cut pieces of your ribbon over a candle flame to prevent fraying. You'll need to figure out how your ribbon will fit on your envelope, by seeing how long of ribbon you'll need on each side to hang over your chair. I left 13 inches of ribbon on one side from the bottom, and 25 1/2 inches from the top of the envelope. Place your ribbon 1 1/4 inches from the edges of your envelope (piece #1) and pin. Do both sides.
13. Sew up both sides of both ribbons - 4 seams. Leave the tops and bottoms un-stitched, those will be stitched when finishing the envelope.
14. Place your #3 piece on top of the back of the envelope (#1), and pin. Then stitch around it. It is the bottom piece. (Please ignore my bobbin malfunction in the top right of the picture below - I was too lazy to fix it, plus no one will see it...)
14. Place your #3 piece on top of the back of the envelope (#1), and pin. Then stitch around it. It is the bottom piece. (Please ignore my bobbin malfunction in the top right of the picture below - I was too lazy to fix it, plus no one will see it...)
15. Now put on your envelope flap piece #3. Pin and ONLY stitch the top seam connecting it to the back of the envelope (piece #1).
See how it opens? I didn't put the bottom piece all the way to the top because I wanted to leave space there so my kids didn't have to dig so much to get anything out of the pouch.
You're all done!!! Tie on your chair and enjoy!!!
Hopefully, that made sense!
I'm so excited to use these - you have no idea!!!
So cute Holly! And great tutorial too!
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