How to Make Sailor's Valentine Heart Ornaments

Sailor's Valentines were popular mementos in Victorian times with the majority originating from shell-rich Barbados. Artisans skilled in shellcraft created beautiful souvenirs from tiny seashells for sailors to take home as gifts. Inspired by these treasures, our version is a set of wooden heart ornaments embellished with Dresden trims, miniature seashells and velvet leaves. An otherwise daunting project is simplified by taking a modular approach: we build the shell flowers first so they can be handled, moved easily and tried in design pairings. Natural elements like wood and shells combined with fancy Dresden foils and velvet creates a layered, high-impact result sure to please both salty sea dogs and sentimental sweethearts alike. Not including hangers, finished hearts measure 2-1/2" and 3" tall.

Supplies:

Wooden Hearts LCW-024 and LCW-030

Dresden Trims DF360, DF300, DF405, DF7107, DF301, DF7601, DF8534

Stamen MNC85

Tiny Velvet Leaves NLC133

1/8" Velvet Ribbons

Tiny Seashells

Dye or Paint (we used Rit Dye in Scarlett, Fuchsia and Purple; Folk Art Paint in Baby Pink)

Scissors

Craft Glue like Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue

Skewer

Small Cups or Jars (empty jam jars work great), Hot Water, Cool Water, Small Bowl

Paper Towels, Popsicle Sticks or Skewers, Gloves

Here's the general idea: paint/dye hearts, create shell flowers, gather decorative elements, place Dresdens, place shells, adjust as desired, glue everything in place, add a ribbon hanger. For detailed instructions and design examples, please read on!

Step 1: Dye or Paint Wooden Hearts

1a: Dye: To achieve a driftwood-inspired look, tint wooden hearts with dye:

Heat water to 140 degrees. Prepare dye baths in small cups. Add 3/4 teaspoon to 1 cup water. Stir with a popsicle stick and set aside. Add clear water to a small bowl.

Wearing gloves, add one wooden heart to the dye. Keep it moving with a popsicle stick or skewer for even color. Keep in dye for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on dye color and desired result. Remove from dye and rinse in the clear water bath. Gently shake off excess water then let dry on paper towels. Repeat for other hearts. Let hearts dry completely (we let ours dry 8-12 hours).

1b: Paint: A driftwood look is also achievable with craft paint:

Mix a small amount of paint and water to create a color wash. Test mixture for desired transparency then paint onto hearts. Let dry. This technique works well for lighter colors like the light pink hearts.

Step 2: Sort Shells

Organize shells by size, shape and color. In the case of tiny clam shells, sort by left-facing or right-facing.

Step 3: Create Shell Flowers

Using the guides below, build several flower styles. To add the stamen centers, trim a stamen head off the bundle and glue in place. For simplicity, we have focused on four different flower styles all built on the same Dresden medallion, DF360 -- this allows for easily combining different flowers styles within the same design.

Step 4: Gather Decorative Elements and Try Different Layouts and Combinations

Trim apart Dresden pieces, gather shell flowers, sort smaller accent shells, and gather velvet leaves. Assemble mixed pieces to test different designs. Begin with a Dresden base then place shell flowers, then try different accent shells.

Step 5: Glue Elements in Place

When pleased with design placement, glue elements in place and let dry.

Step 6: Add A Ribbon Hanger

Cut a 9-1/2" long piece of velvet ribbon. Thread through hole, bring ends together , tie a knot and trim ends as needed.

12 Designs with Supplies Specified to Guide and Inspire:

Below from left:

Purple, left: Heart LCW-024, 3 pcs DF300AG, 3 pcs DF760AG, 1 pc shell flower Round Flower, 3 pcs DF405LPU, 6 pcs tiny conical shells, 3 pcs stamen MNC85LTP, velvet ribbon in Dark Amethyst

Red, center: Heart LCW-024, pieces from DF7107AG, 1 pc shell flower Round Flower, 2 pcs shell flowers Half Flower, 2 pcs tiny conical shells, velvet ribbon in Dusty Purple

Fuchsia, right: Heart LCW-024, 1 pc DF7106AG, 1 pc shell flower Round Flower, 2 pcs shell flowers Star Flower, 6 pcs tiny conical shells, velvet ribbon in Cardinal Red

Below from left:

Red, left: Heart LCW-030, pieces from DF7107AG, 1 pc DF7601R, 2 pcs shell flowers Round Flower, small bird from DF8534AG, 3 pcs tiny conical shells, velvet ribbon in Dusty Purple

Fuchsia, center: Heart LCW-030, 3 pcs DF300AG, 3 pcs DF7601R, 1 pc shell flower Round Flower, 6 pcs conical shells, 3 pcs tiny conical shells, velvet ribbon in Cardinal Red

Red, right: Heart LCW-030, 3 pcs DF300AG, 3 pcs DF7601AG, 3 pcs shell flowers Dimensional Flower, 6 pcs tiny conical shells, velvet ribbon in Cardinal Red

Below from left:

Red, left: Heart LCW-030, pieces from DF7107AG, 3 pcs DF405R, 2 pcs shell flowers Star Flower, 2 leaves NLC133-BL, 5 pcs tiny conical shells, velvet ribbon in Cardinal Red

Light Pink, center: Heart LCW-030, 3 pcs DF300AG, 3 pcs DF7601AG, 1 pc shell flower Star Flower, 3 pcs conical shells, 6 pcs tiny clam shells, velvet ribbon in Dusty Purple

Purple, right: Heart LCW-030, pieces from DF7107AG, 1 pcs DF7601R, small bird from DF8534AG, 2 pcs shell flowers Round Flower, 1 pc shell flower Half Flower, 3 pcs tiny conical shells, 1 pc tiny snail shell, velvet ribbon in Cardinal Red

Below from left:

Light Pink, left: Heart LCW-030, pieces from DF301AG, small bird from DF8534AG, 2 pcs shell flowers Round Flower, 1 pc shell flower Half Flower, 2 leaves NLC133-STG, 2 pcs tiny conical shells, velvet ribbon in Berry

Red, center: Heart LCW-024, 2 pcs DF300AG, 1 pcs DF7601R, small bird from DF8534AG, 2 pcs shell flower Star Flower, 2 leaves NLC133-R, 2 pcs tiny snail shell, velvet ribbon in Berry

Light Pink, right: Heart LCW-024, pieces from DF301AG, 3 pcs DF7601R, 2 leaves NCL133-ARPB, 1 pc shell flower Dimensional Flower, velvet ribbon in Cardinal Red

Tips and Notes:

-- No two shells are alike and when crafting with natural elements variations will occur. We have created a small shell pack to allow for the ease of creating a handful of ornaments from this tutorial. Depending on design complexity, this shell pack should allow for the creation of 8-12 ornament. If greater quantities are needed, or you wish to sort through many shells for specific colors, Amazon offers several bulk options for tiny clam shells and other mixed sets.

-- We recommend the Quick Dry version of Aleene's Tacky Glue for working with shells. It sets up quickly but allows time to adjust and reposition pieces. Hot glue would be too bulky and set up too quickly for this project.

-- Don't be overwhelmed by complexity. The four designs below left all start with a simple combo of 3 pcs DF300 + 3 pcs DF7601 and are embellished further with a shell flower or trio of shell flowers in the center and then smaller shells added to complete the designs. Try mixing Dresden colors for more variation; the fuchsia style below combines red and antique gold Dresdens. For further customization, add additional elements; on the purple style below additional Dresdens and stamen are the added embellishments.

-- Skewers are invaluable! Use a skewer to move shells around for precise placement.