Be Mine Banner

 I saw the most fantastic banner over at Crap I've Made a couple weeks ago that is the inspiration for my banner.    Char has a great tutorial!  I've made mine a little different, mostly cause I'm lazy (also cause I love burlap and wanted to use it!).   Here are my lazy, copycat instructions.
Supplies needed: Freezer paper, Tulip Fabric Paint, ribbon, natural and red burlap, cotton fabrics about 1/4yd each.
First, I made a heart template.

 Then I cut out 6 hearts in the natural burlap.  I cut mine on the bias, because I like the idea of the burlap fraying a bit over time.

Next I made stencils for the letters. Using my hearts as a size guide, I drew my letters onto Freezer paper.  After that, I had to cut out each letter. This step was by far the most time consuming.  If I had a Silhouette, this step would be a cinch!

I ironed the freezer paper onto the hearts, plastic/waxy side down.  All over blogland, I have seen people using freezer paper as stencils.  This was my first venture.  It is awesome!  I have to admit, I was a little worried that the paper wouldn't peel off  or that it would leave a sticky residue.  My fears were groundless.  The paper worked like a dream.  Having it ironed onto the fabric hearts kept the stencil from slipping all over the place and paint only went were it was supposed to.  I will definitely be using freezer paper stencils again!  I let Anakin and Buzz stencil away, using the tulip fabric paint and sponge brushes.  They love to be included in craft time. 

 After they were done painting, I peeled off the paper and let the paint dry.  It can take up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, I cut out my cotton fabrics.  Based on the size of my hearts, I ended up making 7.5in squares.  I had 2 prints, so I cut out 3 squares from each fabric. I ran a bead of fray check along all of the edges. Then, I cut out six 9"x9 squares from the red burlap. 

Next, I sewed the hearts on the cotton prints and the prints onto the red burlap.   I didn't turn the edges under on the cotton, just a plain straight stitch.  Hence, the need for the fray check in the previous step. 

After that, I cut 2 slits near the top of each square so I could thread my ribbon through.  Now, just a hint of the ribbon peeks through between each letter. 

I ended up making a heart to sew between the B and the M squares to separate the words.  I just freehanded the hearts and sewed the layers together.  Then, I sewed the sides of the heart to the squares. 

Finished!  Now I have a great little banner for February.