This beaded heart brooch is a striking, wearable keepsake, perfect for pinning to a jacket, knitwear or evening wear. This step-by-step guide shows you how to bead-embroider a heart from Serinity crystal beads and pearls stitched onto felt, then finish it with a brooch pin. Play with texture, scale and colour to make a heart that is entirely your own.
It is a satisfying, more advanced bead-embroidery project that rewards patience. Here is everything you need, then the full method.
Project at a glance
- Difficulty: Intermediate (dense bead embroidery, several bead types)
- Time: A few hours
- Beads used: Serinity 5000 rounds and 5328 bicones in siam and crystal, 5810 rouge pearls, and 2304 flatback accents
- Technique: Bead embroidery on felt in a hoop, backed with a brooch pin
Watch the tutorial
See this project come together. Watch the full make below, then scroll down for the kit list and step-by-step instructions.
What you'll need
Quantities make one brooch. Add the beads, pearls and findings to your cart from the cards below. The hoop, needle and trays are reusable across every project, so browse the full range of tools and accessories to build your kit.
- Felt, one heart plus a backing pieceYour base2
- Embroidery hoopHolds the felt taut1
- Serinity 5000 Round Beads, Crystal 4mmInner outline50
- Serinity 5000 Round Beads, Light Siam 4mmFilling50
- Serinity 5000 Round Beads, Light Siam AB 6mmFilling40
- Serinity 5328 Bicone Beads, Siam Shimmer 2x 4mmFilling, extra sparkle50
- Serinity 5810 Pearls, Iridescent Rouge 6mmGap filling50
- Serinity 5810 Pearls, Iridescent Rouge 3mmLower third and gaps100
- Serinity 5000 Round Beads, Siam 2mmOuter edge outline100
- Serinity 5000 Round Beads, Crystal 2mmAround the flatbacks50
- Serinity 2304 Flatback Raindrop, Golden Shadow 14mmTop accent in the V3
- Beading ThreadStitching the beads1
- Beading NeedlesSewing1
- Bar Brooch PinThe back finding1
- E6000 Glue KitFixing flatbacks and the pin1
- Magic Sorting TrayOrganising beads2
Shop this project
Everything you need for this build. Quantities are a guide, so adjust to your design.
From £2.42 Excl. VAT
£4.99 Excl. VAT
£9.53 Excl. VAT
£5.12 Excl. VAT
Not sure how many crystals you need? Use our Crystal Calculator to estimate by surface area.
How to make a beaded heart brooch
Step 1: Gather your supplies
Tip your beads into the sorting trays so each colour and size is easy to reach. Cut a heart shape from felt, pin it to a second, uncut piece of felt underneath for strength, then fit the felt into an embroidery hoop so your work stays taut as you stitch.
Step 2: Outline the heart
Using the 5000 Crystal 4mm beads, stitch a line around the edge of the heart as an inner outline. Leave a little room around the very edge, as you will add a second outline there later.
Step 3: Fill the heart
Thread a 5000 Light Siam 4mm, a 5000 Light Siam AB 6mm and a 5328 Siam Shimmer bead, and stitch this repeating pattern across roughly two thirds of the heart, packing it as densely as you can. Fill the last third with the small 5810 Rouge 3mm pearls only. Go back and fill any gaps in the first two thirds with the 5810 Rouge pearls, switching between the 6mm and 3mm depending on the gap size. Finally, stitch a line of 5000 Siam 2mm beads around the very outer edge as the final outline.
Step 4: Add the flatback accents
Glue three 2304 Golden Shadow flatbacks into the V at the top of the heart, points facing downwards and evenly spaced. Then carefully stitch 5000 Crystal 2mm beads around the edge of each flatback to frame them.
Step 5: Finish the brooch
Remove the work from the hoop, trim around the heart, and take out any pins. Sew or glue a bar brooch pin to the back with E6000, then leave it to cure fully before wearing.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a beaded heart brooch?
With bead embroidery. You hold a felt heart taut in an embroidery hoop, outline the edge, then fill the shape by stitching on beads and pearls section by section. Drop in smaller beads to fill any gaps, add a few flatback accents, then trim the felt and back it with a brooch pin.
What beads do I need for a heart brooch?
A mix of sizes and finishes reads best: round crystal beads to outline and fill, faceted bicones for sparkle, and pearls for softness. We used Serinity 5000 rounds and 5328 bicones in siam and crystal, with Serinity 5810 pearls in iridescent rouge and a few 2304 flatback accents.
Do I need an embroidery hoop?
It helps a lot. A hoop holds the felt taut so your stitches stay even and the beads sit flat, which matters for a dense design like this. You can bead without one, but the finish is neater and easier to control with the felt held tight.
How do you fill a beaded brooch neatly?
Outline the shape first, then fill in rows, working the larger beads in first and dropping smaller beads or pearls into the gaps as you go. Mixing 6mm, 4mm, 3mm and 2mm beads lets you pack the surface densely with no felt showing through.
How do you attach a brooch back?
Once the beading is done, trim the felt to the heart shape, remove any pins, then sew or glue a bar brooch pin to the back with E6000. Stitching as well as gluing makes it secure enough for everyday wear on a jacket or knitwear.
Can I change the colours?
Yes. Reds and rouge pearls give a romantic heart, but any palette works, from icy blues to soft pastels. We used our own Austrian-made Serinity beads and pearls here; you can also use premium Swarovski, Czech-made Preciosa or budget Estella.
Make it your own
Switch the palette, scale the heart up or down, or vary the bead mix for a bolder or softer look. For more beaded brooches, see our seed bead star brooch and seed bead pumpkin brooch projects, or explore the full Craft Studio.
