DIY Cornstarch + Baby's Breath Heart Garland
With Valentine's Day right around the corner and having just moved into a new home, I wanted to make something super simple to decorate for the holiday. Since this project requires very little time and materials, and you probably already have what you need at home, I thought it was perfect!
I hung mine up on the wall, but you can string yours along a mantle, over a window pane or anywhere else you can think of!
Here's what you need:
1/2C cornstarch
1C baking soda
3/4C water
cookie cutters
thick string (hemp or cotton)
baby's breath (I used pink)
letter stamps (optional)
1. Combine the cornstarch, baking soda and water in a pan and heat on the stove at medium, stirring until it thickens to a smooth, doughy consistency.
2. Spoon into a heat-safe bowl and cover with a damp cloth to let it cool.
3. Once cool, place the dough onto a cutting board dusted with cornstarch.
4. Knead with your hands and add more cornstarch if it's too sticky/wet.
5. Pull the baby's breath off the stems and roll into the dough, kneading it in by folding several times until you get the desired look.
6. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about 1/4in thick. Cut out your heart shapes with cookie cutters. This is when you can use letter stamps to stamp cute messages in the hearts. Be sure not to push too hard as it will misshapen your heart.
7. Using wooden skewers or a thick sewing needle, punch holes through the hearts for the string. Make sure the holes are low enough so that your string doesn't show through the dip of the heart. Take a look at my hole placement for reference. If you are going to want any extra hearts to place around the house, leave one or two hearts without holes.
8. Place hearts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can let them sit overnight or place them in the oven for about 50 minutes, flipping half-way through. You may need more/less time depending on the thickness of your hearts, so just check on them periodically.
9. Once fully dried out, take a needle and thick string such as cotton or hemp and thread it through your hearts.
You can place any extra hearts around the home! I wish I had thought of this ahead of time and didn't put holes through this one! Oh well—now I know for next time :)
