Interlocking Hearts Love Chain

How to Weave a Love Chain for Your Homecoming Mums

An Advanced Homecoming Mum Love Chain Project

Of all the love chain patterns I know, the Interlocking Hearts Love Chain shown above requires the most ribbon, the most time to make and also requires tape to form the hearts. Definitely an advanced love chain project.

You don't see the interlocking hearts in the finished chain, but rather in the making. So think of the person you are making this love chain for as you weave.

Take a good look at the front and back pattern. That will help you orient yourself as you work. Both right and left sides of the front have a pattern of two red loops, one green. The back loops are all green.

In the likely case that your school colors are not red and green, let's use a key. We'll call red "color 1" and green "color 2". Write down your school colors for reference.

For example if they're blue and white, write color 1 = blue and color 2 = white. So when I say color 1, you'll see red but think blue. OK?

Using ¾-inch wide ribbon, for each foot of finished love chain, you will need: 20 strips of color 1, 3 inches long; and two strips of color 2, 30 inches long.

Love Chain Step 1: Heart Shape

Put a very small piece of tape on each side of one end of a color 1 strip.

Fold the two ends in to form a heart. Fold the tape strips over to secure the heart.

Love Chain Step 2: Interlocking the Hearts

Slip a pre-taped 2nd strip through heart #1 and secure it into a heart shape as before. You can see the chain starting to take shape in photo 5. This will be the front of the chain. Notice the pattern of two loops on each side of the front. Take care that all of your hearts have two loops facing front.

Tip: It helps to pre-tape all of the short strips at once.

Here is the completed interlocking heart chain of color 1.

Love Chain Step 3: Weaving in 1st Strip of Color 2

The long strips of color 2 wind over (and conceal) the taped area of each heart and then down over each single loop at the back of the chain.

Put a small piece of tape on the very end of a long strip. Insert it into the topmost heart loop from the front and press to secure. Weave to the back, covering the taped section of the first heart.

At the back (photo below), the strip weaves right on top of and conforms to the "bottom" of each heart to return to the front.

Tip: When you're done weaving in both long strips, the entire back will be covered with color 2 as shown in the top "Back" photo.

Weave color 2 in and out to the bottom of the chain. Trim and tape. Here is the front of the chain with one long strip finished.

Love Chain Step 4: Weaving in 2nd Strip of Color 2

Tape the 2nd long strip to the top heart at the back as shown in the photo below. Weave in and out in and secure as in Step 3.