Quick Tip: Make a Gorgeous Leather Heart Valentine's Headband

Want to make a statement on Valentine's Day? This flirty leather heart headband should do the trick - and it's something you can wear any time of the year. We took inspiration from the runway with our lace print, which has been spotted all over the Spring/Summer 13 collections - from Alexander McQueen to Dolce & Gabbana. Read on for our super-easy how-to.

Supplies

• Various scraps and off-cuts of lace.
• Red leather.
• Felt or fleece.
• Elastic band, about 1 cm width.
• Spray paint.
• Leather glue.
• Scissors.
• Small detail scissors.
• Pencil.
• Tape.
• Cardstock.
• Safety equipment: face mask.

Step 1: Create the Basic Design

Draw three hearts in different sizes on the back side of your leather and cut them out. You can use our template for this step - just click on the image below to download. Remember that you need to hold the scissors perpendicular to the sheet of leather to ensure clean cuts and perfect shapes.

Step 2: Choose the Lace

Experiment with different pieces of lace on the hearts and move them around until you find the best design for each one. You can use the same design for all three hearts, but we worked with three different styles for this tutorial. Avoid knitted and thick lace as it will won't work as well as finer designs.

If you only use a strip of the lace on part of the heart you will need to make a mask to cover the parts you want un-painted. Place these pieces of lace on the cardboard and trace around it with a pencil. Use the detail scissors to cut out the negative of the lace.

Step 3: Prepare for Spray Paint

Prepare your pieces for spray-painting. Place the strips of lace in position on the hearts and secure at the back with tape. If you're covering an entire heart with lace, cut the piece about 1cm larger than the design. Wrap the lace around the heart and secure at the back with tape.

Step 4: Spray Paint the Hearts

Take your heart pieces outside and lay them on a piece of paper. Use the card masks you've created to cover the parts you want to stay unpainted. To ensure you get an outline of the edge of the lace design, position the mask around 3mm away from the edge, as pictured above. Tape the card mask pieces on the paper.

Before you start spray painting, keep in mind that the spray may move your pieces with the force of the pressure and ruin your design. So spray from a distance at around 20cm. We would also recommend you wear a face mask before you start spray-painting for extra safety. Once you've sprayed each piece, leave them to dry for at least half an hour. Once you're sure the paint is perfectly dry, remove the tape, masks and lace very carefully!

Step 5: Attach the Elastic Band

Now place your heart pieces in position on a piece of card - you can use our template above as a guide. Trace around the hearts as one whole design.

Use the elastic band to measure around the circumference of your head. Measure without stretching and subtract 3-4cm of the total length to make it stretch a little for a snug fit. Use the leather glue to attach the elastic to the cardstock and staple for extra security. Now attach the hearts to the cardstock, covering the elastic with the leather glue. Leave it to dry according to your leather glue instructions.

Step 6: Add the Felt Backing

Place the headband a piece of red felt, with the cardstock side facing down. Glue the cardstock to the felt and leave to dry. Then use your detail scissors to cut around felt. The felt will make the headband feel more comfortable and slip-resistant against your head. Your lace print leather headband is ready! Enjoy wearing it.

Did you like this tutorial? We'd love to hear your thoughts - just leave them in the comments section below.