Valentine’s Playing Card Garland

I wanted to do something creative for Valentine’s decorations, but did not want to purchase anything. I was planning on doing a fabric garland when I came across a picture of heart card garland. My ex-husband is an avid card player, so I asked him what they did with the cards after they played and he told me that they THROW THEM AWAY. I was appalled and naturally offered to give the little cards a new lease on life. I gathered all of my supplies and got started that night!

Here is a list of what you will need:

-several color-coordinating fabrics (I used approximately ¼ yard in each and had plenty left over)

-scissors and/or cutting mat and rotary blade

-cards (they sell used card decks from casinos at most dollar stores if you don’t have a gambler in your family)

-hole puncher

-hot glue gun

-string or ribbon to hang it

I started off by measuring my mantle and cutting the twine to the length I wanted. I then got started cutting my fabric strips. I cut them each 11” x 1”, but you can make them as large or small as you like! I ended up having to iron them after cutting them so that they would lie flat and STRONGLY suggest that you press them prior to cutting because it is less work.

Once the strips were complete, I punched two holes at the top of each card and threaded them onto the string. I spaced them as evenly as I could without measuring and put two strips of fabric in between each heart card. When I was happy with the spacing, I put a drop of hot glue on the fabric and folded it over the string. My initial plan was to tie them on, but I liked how clean the folded material looked. My cards stayed in place without glue because the string was tight in the holes I punched, but if you opt for a smaller ribbon, you will want to secure these as well. I repeated the same process for another strand of garland and just like that…My mantle was (almost) Valentine’s Day ready!