Straw Marquetry Valentines Cards

Sweet 'n Simple - a special card for that special person.

Pictures of finished cards

You will need:

Tools

Materials

Method for making the marquetry heart card 1

Picture of finished card

Extra materials

Step 1
On the back of the template sheet go over the heart shape with a pen so that you will be able to cut it out later.

Step 2
Draw out on your graph paper one block of sixteen squares arranged in two lines. Each square will be made up of four small squares on the graph paper making up a square of 2cm (as shown in red in the diagram below).

graph paper grid

Step 3
Place glue on the pith side of your straw ribbon and stick it on the blank side of the long strip of graph paper. One straw ribbon will not be sufficient to cover the paper so you will need a second strip or even a third strip. Make sure the additional strips butt the other strips hard up against each other so that no paper shows through.

Step 4
Turn the paper over and carefully cut across the lines. This will give you sixteen identical straw squares.

Step 5
On the template sheet mark a line vertically in the middle of the heart.

template showing line down the centre
Step 6
Now carefully stick four of your small straw squares in place using the centre line as a guide BUT stick one square with the grain of the straw horizontal, and the one next to it with the grain vertical. Most important of all is to ensure that the squares meet in the centre. The outside edges are not as critical as they will be trimmed off. Now repeat this process with the other straw squares until the heart has been covered.

diagram of squares

Step 7
When all the pieces have been stuck down leave it to one side to dry.

heart showing position of squares

Step 8
Once it is dry, cut out the heart shape and mount it on your chosen card.

Step 9
To finish off cut four thin strips of straw and make a border around your card.

Method for making the marquetry heart card 2

Picture of finished card

For this card you will need a card that has a heart shaped aperture, this can either be made or bought from a craft supply store.

Step 1
On the back of the template sheet go over the heart shape with a pen so that you will be able to cut it out later.

Step 2
Place glue on the pith side of your straw ribbon and stick it on the template with the grain of the straw running diagonally from right to left. Start in the centre of the heart and butt the other strips hard up against each other so that no paper shows through.

template showing line of grain

Step 3
Allow to dry. Whilst it is drying glue a piece of pink paper inside the card as shown in the picture of the finished card below. I have used Mulberry paper which has fibres running through it. The feathery edge is achieved by drawing a line with water and tearing rather than cutting with scissors.

finished card

Step 4
Cut out the heart.

Step 5
Before you cover the other side of the heart tie a thin piece of paper to a short length of red cotton. Glue this piece of paper so that the cotton is vertical in the middle of the heart.

Step 6
Now, glue the straw ribbon to the other side of the heart with the grain of the straw running diagonally from left to right. Again start in the centre of the heart and butt the other strips so that no paper shows through.

template showing line of grain

Step 7
When all the pieces have been stuck down leave it to one side to dry.

Step 8
Once it is dry trim the edges being very careful not to cut the piece of red cotton.

Step 9
Tie the free end of cotton to another small piece of paper and glue it to the inside of the card making sure that the heart swings freely in the centre of the cut-out.

Step 10
Glue the backing sheet to the card to hide the cotton. (A backing sheet is a second sheet with an identical heart shaped aperture; a commercial card may have a loose backing sheet, or it may be part of the card. If you have made the card yourself, you will either have to make a backing sheet, or make sure the strip of paper in Step 9 matches the colour of the card itself.)

Step 11
To finish off cut four thin strips of straw and make a border around your card.

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Supplies

Materials

Elaine Lindsay
Something Corny, Rowan Cottage, Inveramsay, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB51 5DQ. Tel. 01467 681330

Something Corny supply Dyed Straws, Bleached Straws and Natural Straws. These items are available by post from Elaine Lindsay.
Elaine is a member of the Guild and is experienced in many aspects of straw craft.

Your Local Florist
Your local florist may have suitable straw. Remember that the straw has to be hollow and, if possible, thin walled.

Equipment

Elaine Lindsay
Something Corny, Rowan Cottage, Inveramsay, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB51 5DQ. Tel. 01467 681330

Something Corny supply Plastic Straw Splitters.

Gordon Thwaites
Garth Nest, Kentmere Road, Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 9JF

Gordon makes tools for straw work and so a Hindenburg can be bought from him.

Gordon is a clock maker by profession; his tools are made to very high standards. All his tools are works of art in themselves.

Further Reading

Creative Straw Marquetry
Freda Rudman

Paperback. Pub. Wessex Press, Wantage, Oxon. (1984) ISBN 0 948644 00 1

Straw Mosaics
Lina Croucher

Paperback. Pub. Reeves Dryad Press (1975) SBN 85219-091-3