Welcome to Girls Want Pearls #25! Whew, I’m so happy to be over here in my new place. Getting here was quite the ordeal! I think there are still a few issues to work out, so please bear with me. I haven’t regained GFC so if you were following me with that you might want to follow by email instead. So, on with the pearls!

This week I was inspired by my vintage pearl and pear garland (see it here). With Valentine’s Day coming right up I have hearts on the brain. Here’s what I came up with to deck out a tree, window or chandelier.


What you’ll need:
pearl strand
ornament dough or imitation marzipan
food coloring
sugar
large kitchen knife
waxed paper

I used imitation marzipan for this illustration but it can sometimes crack when drying. The sugar helps to conceal that fact but ornament dough might be a better choice. Here’s the marzipan recipe I used to make about 18 hearts:
1/3 cup flour
2 T butter
8 oz powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
food coloring
Boil water and butter. Add flour and stir until you can form a ball that doesn’t stick to the pan. Let cool, add powdered sugar and mix until the dough is easy to manage. Add food coloring.

Here’s a link to a no-bake ornament dough recipe.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on waxed paper. Flatten balls with a knife.

Cut flattened ball in half. Pinch the bottom of each half, forming a sort of triangle.

Now make a pearl sandwich, enclosing a section of pearls with each half of the dough. Push, poke and pinch the dough until it becomes the desired heart shape.

Adding the sugar
Spray the heart with adhesive and sprinkle on the sugar. I used two coats. You can color your own sugar with food coloring or buy it already colored. Allow to air dry, shake off the excess and you have a finished, festive, flirty heart garland.