Who said giving gift cards had to be boring? I don’t know about you, but I always feel weird just giving a gift card. I always feel the need to do something else with it.
Enter in the Heart Pouch Pattern! Not only is this pattern so easy to whip up, but it will bring a smile to whoever you are gifting it to.
The heart Pouch will fit a gift card comfortably. You can even stuff it with candies or a small gift.
Though I originally designed this pattern for Valentine’s Day, you can easily switch up the theme and colors for any occasion!
OK, lets get started!
Materials
-5mm / H Crochet hook for pouch. 3.75mm / F hook if making a buckle.
– Worsted Weight Yarn in Red, Black and White. I used ILTY in Red, Black and White Sparkle. White Velvet would work nicely for the white trim as well.
-(Optional) Worsted Weight or sport weight yarn in gold or yellow for belt buckle. I used a small cotton scrap from my stash.
– Button (I used these)
– Patch (optional)
– Scisors
– Yarn Needle
Pattern Notes: (in addition to those in the pattern)
- When Changing Colors, do it in the last stitch of the round prior. At the end, be sure to tie off your ends in the inside to secure them before weaving in. You could also secure the knots on the inside with some fabric glue and cut the ends short.
- After switching from red to black, don’t cut the red, just carry it up when you are ready for it again.
Pouch Pattern:
Make the Heart Pouch as directed in the Pattern with the following color changes:
Rounds 1 – 7 : Red (DO NOT cut off!) Carry this up when you get to Round 11
Rounds 8-9 : Black
Round 10 : White
Rounds 11 – End: Red
Note: Make sure you are doing the SLST into the sides of Round 10 as instructed in the pattern even though the colors are different. This helps the smooth look of of the sides of where the bumps meet the bottom half.
Belt Buckle (optional)
You can achieve the belt buckle in several ways as outlined below. It can also be put on the front under the button (like I did) or on the back of the pouch. I opted not to do this because I wanted to add a patch.
- Sew on – This is the easiest. You will simply embroider a rectangle where you wish to have it. Use the stitches and the points of the heart to help you center it.
- Surface slip stitch – This technique can take a bit to master, but the results can be fantastic. There are many tutorials on YouTube if you are not familiar with the technique.
- Make a chain then sew it on. This is what I did and is described below.
With gold and F hook I chained 20. I allotted 5 chains for each long side (10), 3 chains for each short side (6) and 1 chain for each corner (4).
When sewing on, make sure your hand is inside the pouch so you do not inadvertently sew the two sides together!
Finishing:
Add your button to Round 9 centering it under the loop. If you added a buckle, make sure you are centering it there as well!
Optional – add up to a 2” patch to the back of the pouch.
And there you are! Stuff it with a gift card and a few candies and its ready to gift!