Purchase a handkerchief at the store & follow this shabby chic DIY

There's something nostalgic about an ornate handkerchief. Maybe you have heirloom handkerchiefs that belonged to your grandparents, or have simply snagged some eye-catching ones from your local vintage shop. Wherever you got them, you're probably looking for a trendy way to put those handkerchiefs to use.

If you've got a plain throw blanket, a few spare handkerchiefs and a bit of time to kill, you can give that blanket an adorable makeover with just a handful of materials and less than an hour of time invested.

- Throw blanket
- Two handkerchiefs
- Scissors
- Thread
- Needle
- Pencil
- Fabric glue
- Cardboard cutout heart
- Popsicle stick to spread glue

1. Fold the first handkerchief in half, and cut down the middle, so you're left with two equal pieces. Leave those pieces on top of one another, and fold them in half again, cutting along the fold once more. This should leave you with four equal squares.

2. Set those four pieces aside, and bring out the second handkerchief. Line up the bottom of the heart with the corner of the handkerchief, and trace the top of the shape with your pencil. Repeat this process on another corner.

3. Cut along the outline so you're left with two heart-shaped cutouts from the handkerchief.

4. Lay the throw blanket flat, and place a square from the first handkerchief near the corner; overlap one of the heart cutouts over the first square. Apply fabric adhesive to the bottom of the heart where it sits on top of the square, and spread it with the Popsicle stick, so the handkerchiefs are glued together.

5. Thread your needle and begin to complete wide stitches around the perimeter of your handkerchief pieces. Start by stitching from the bottom right corner of the handkerchief square, and stitch all the way around the heart before tying a knot on the bottom of the blanket.

6. Resume stitching around the rest of the square, tying another knot on the bottom of the blanket once you've securely fastened the handkerchiefs.

7. Complete this process again on another corner, so two sections of your blanket are ornamented with the handkerchiefs, then enjoy your new showpiece.