Sometimes the smallest things can mean the most — and a pocket hug is the perfect example. These tiny sewn felt hearts are designed to be held, tucked into a pocket, and gifted as a quiet reminder that someone cares. Whether you’re sending comfort from afar, offering encouragement during a hard moment, or sharing a simple act of kindness, a pocket heart is a meaningful way to say “I’m here for you.”
Learn how to make an adorable heart shaped felt pocket hug with a sweet stitched face, and download any of our 4 different pages of printables, filled with thoughtful poems and sayings. These little pocket hugs are easy to make, heartfelt to give, and perfect for friends, family, or anyone who could use a little extra love tucked into their day.
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How to Make a Pocket Hug
Materials:
- FREE Printable Pocket Hug Poems (find more below!)
- FREE Printable Heart Template
- Red felt (or other colour)
- Safety eyes (6 mm)
- Embroidery floss (black and red)
- Polyester fiber fill
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Cut hearts from felt
- Print one of our free heart templates in the size and shape of your choosing. Find the link in the material’s list above!
- Use the heart outline to cut 2 hearts from felt.
Step 3: Add a cute face
- We’re using safety eyes to give our heart a kawaii face.
- To make room for the eyes, insert your needle where you’d like the eyes to be. Wiggle the needle back and forth until you have 2 holes big enough to fit the posts of the safety eyes.
- Insert the safety eyes into the felt and secure them in place with the backings.
- Now use black embroidery floss to embroider a mouth onto the heart. Start from the back and work in small stitches to create the mouth shape you’d like.
- Then tie the beginning and end threads together in a double knot to secure the floss. Cut off the excess.
Step 4: Sew the heart together
- Now bring the two felt pieces together, lining up the edges.
- Thread your needle with a floss that matches the felt. Bring the needle up through both pieces and tie a double knot. Tuck the short tail into the heart.
- Sew the heart together with a blanket stitch. To do this, bring the needle up through the felt and then, before you pull it through all the way, wrap the floss (coming from the previous stitch) around the needle.
- Pull the floss tight, creating your first blanket stitch.
- Repeat around the heart until you get just past the point.
- Add stuffing into the heart. Because it’s a small heart, and because the posts of the safety eyes are in the way, add a tiny bit of stuffing at a time.
- Use a pencil, skewer, or knitting needle to push the stuffing into the heart, filling the opposite side.You don’t have to fill the heart completely yet, just fill the bottom and other side while you still have access.
- Continue sewing up the side of the heart until you reach the top. Then add your final bit of stuffing.
- Sew the rest of the heart until you reach the beginning. Put the thread through the first knot and loop it around to create a knot.
- Finish off the thread by going down through a stitch at the back and up through the middle of the heart.
- Pull the thread through and cut off the floss near the felt. Wiggle the felt around so the floss doesn’t show.
Step 5: Use our pocket hug printables
- Print one of our pocket hug cards and choose the poem or saying you like best. We have 4 different printables to choose from, with multiple options on each page.
- Cut out the card and use a one-hole punch to add 2 holes near the center heart, 1 on either side of the paper.
- Add embroidery floss on your needle and push the needle through the back of the heart.
- Pull one end of the embroidery floss through and remove the needle so that the floss comes out on either side.
- Put each end of the embroidery floss through the holes in the card and tie it into a knotted bow on the back of the card.
- Your pocket hug is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Use tailor’s chalk or a gel pen to trace the heart template onto the felt. You can also pin the template in place to keep it from shifting.
- Don’t want to use safety eyes? You can embroider the eyes instead — or skip the face entirely and stitch a simple word like “HUG” or “LOVE” on the heart.
- Need more sizes of hearts? Find lots of heart templates in multiple shapes and sizes in our heart outline post.
Download our free pocket hug poems and printables:
Click on the links or photos below to download our free, printable pocket hug printables! We have 4 different types of cards and the PDF files will open in a new window. Then simply print the template of your choice on 8.5 x 11 (letter size) cardstock.
>> Pocket Hug Poems <<
>> Pocket Hug Sayings <<
>> Blank Pocket Hug Printables <<
>> Pocket Hug Cards <<
What is a pocket hug?
A pocket hug (sometimes called a pocket heart) is a small heart that you can keep in your pocket, backpack, or purse as a sweet reminder that someone is thinking of you. It’s a simple little comfort gift you can tuck into a card, lunch bag, care package, or Valentine.
If I don’t sew, can I still make a pocket heart?
Of course, there’s no sewing needed! You can glue your pocket hug together, or make hearts from all kinds of materials, like:
- Crochet hearts
- Knitted hearts
- Resin hearts
- Painted rocks (add a heart and/or the word “HUG”)
- Beads on a pipe cleaner (shape it into a heart)
- Macrame hearts
- Origami hearts
What are some pocket hug poems that I can use?
You can use our printable pocket hug cards (find all the links above), or write your own message on the blank card. Here are a few poem ideas you can copy:
🧸 Everyday Comfort:
When little things feel heavy,
or the day feels hard to start,
just reach inside your pocket—
this hug is for your heart.
🫶 Strength & Encouragement:
When you’re facing something tricky
and you’re not sure what to do,
this little pocket hug is there
to share its strength with you.
😰 For Anxiety:
If you feel a little nervous
when I’m not there with you,
this tiny hug that’s in your pocket
can give you courage too.
🩷 Friendship & Love:
No matter where the day may take you,
or what you’re going through,
this small heart in your pocket
carries all my love for you.
What sayings can I write on my pocket heart card?
If you want to write your own message on the card, here are some short, simple examples that will fit perfectly:
- A little hug to go
- I’m with you, always
- You’ve got this
- One tiny hug, big love
- Here’s a hug for later
- I believe in you
- You matter
- I’m cheering for you
- Be brave, sweet friend
- Take a deep breath
- You’re not alone
- For when you need it most
- Sending you comfort
- Love you to bits
- A hug you can hold
A pocket hug may be small, but it can speak volumes. Tucked into a card, slipped into a lunch bag, or sent in the mail, these little felt hearts are a simple way to remind someone they’re loved and supported.
With a quick sew, a cute face, and one of the printable messages, you’ll have a pocket hug ready to share — perfect for brightening a day and sending comfort in the sweetest, tiniest way.
Here’s even more heart craft ideas:
Now available
Low-Mess Crafts for Kids Book
72 cute and fun crafts that kids and parents alike can enjoy. All with as little mess as possible!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada
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