Needlepointers.com Logo

Heart Mug Rug Pattern Perfect for Valentine's Day

Mug rugs have quickly risen in popularity over the past few years and I have thoroughly enjoyed making this new trend.  With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, many of us, including me, are looking for creative ways to celebrate this special day.

So today, to all you sewing enthusiasts, I would like to share a free Heart Mug Rug pattern. This easy strip-pieced Valentine's heart block that's incorporated into a Valentine's mug rug is a fun and easy way to add a personal touch to your snack mat for Valentine's Day celebrations.

Heart Mug Rug Pattern - fb

I love to sew scrappy. I am an obsessive scrap quilter who loves to use leftover fabric from my quilting and sewing projects and turn them into something amazing.

You have probably heard the old proverb, "Waste not, want not".  With the price per yard of fabric, I firmly believe in not wasting any.  

The best part of this cute free heart mug rug pattern is you can use up quite a bit of your scrap fabric to create a truly scrappy unique design - a scrappy top, a scrappy backing and a scrappy binding. 

Want more scrappy ideas, we have them on our free scrappy quilt pattern page and our clever ways to upcycle leftover fabric scraps page.

In this article and video tutorial, I will show you how to sew a beautiful heart mug rug for Valentine's Day (or all year long).  This tutorial is perfect for anyone who is looking for a fun and quick project to try out and finish in a few hours. 

So, grab your fabric scraps and let's get started. Watch our video or read on for a photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions!


PRINTABLE PDF TUTORIAL - If you would like an ad free printable version of this tutorial optimized for printing, please visit our Etsy Shop listing for Heart Mug Rug Pattern Perfect for Valentine's Day #ad. For a small fee, you can purchase a PDF downloadable version of this tutorial.
Keep reading for the free version of this tutorial.


COMPLETE VIDEO TUTORIAL AVAILABLE! The video below is a preview with no audio, to watch the whole video tutorial, click the link Heart Mug Rug Pattern Perfect for Valentine's Day to watch in Youtube.


Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. We make a small commission on sales through the affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for your purchase and your support! Please see our full Affiliate Statement for more information.

how to sew a Valentine's Day heart mug rug

Heart Mug Rug Pattern Finished with Drink

supplies needed to sew the heart mug rug:

  • Assorted scrap fabric
  • White background fabric (check your scrap bin)
  • Backing fabric
  • Scrap cotton batting
  • Quilter's Slidelock (optional)
  • Cutting Mat (Purchase from Amazon or Joann)
  • Quilters Ruler (Amazon or Joann)
  • Rotary Cutter (Amazon or Joann)
  • Binding Clips (Amazon or Joann)
  • Scissor
  • Sewing machine
  • Blind hem or Edgestitch foot (optional) (Amazon)

Heart Mug Rug Supplies

Note: Seam allowance throughout the project is ¼ inch unless otherwise specified.

INSTRUCTIONS for making the Valentine's mug rug :

STEP 1: Cut fabric and batting for mug rug pattern

Assorted scrap fabric
4 pieces – 1 ½” x 5 ½” rectangle
2 pieces – 1 ½” x 3” rectangle
3 pieces – 2” x 7 ½” strips

Background Fabric
2 pieces – 3” square
4 pieces – 1 ¼” square
2 pieces - 1 ½” x 5 ½ ”
2 pieces – 1 ½” x 7 ½”

Backing Fabric
1 piece – 8” x 13” or a scrappy piece 8” x 13”

Scrap Batting
1 piece – 8” x 13”

Binding – 2 ½” wide by at least 50”

STEP 2: sew the heart strip set

Let's begin by first making the heart block.

Heart Free Mug Rug Pattern - Cut Fabrics for Heart BlockTo make the heart block, you will need four 1 ½” x 5 ½” rectangles, two 1 ½” x 3” rectangles, two 3" squares, four 1 ¼" squares, two 1 ½" x 5 ½" strips and two 1 ½" x 7 ½" strips.

Heart Mug Rug 2 Strips for HeartWe will begin by constructing the bottom section of the heart.  Grab the four 1 ½” x 5 ½” strip pieces and place them in the order you want them to appear on the heart. 

Heart Mug Rug 3 Sew StripsSew the strips together along the long sides. 

Heart Mug Rug 5 Back Sewn StripsAfter the four pieces have been sewn together, press the seams open. 

Heart Mug Rug 4 Front Sewn StripsThis piece should measure 4 ½” x 5 ½”.

STEP 3:  Place the Background Squares on the Strip piece

Now, get the two 3" background squares. Heart Mug Rug 6 Sqares MarkedWith a pencil, draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of each piece. 

Heart Mug Rug 7 Bottom CornerPlace one background square in the bottom right-hand corner of the strip set created in step 2 with the diagonal line going towards the center.

Heart Mug Rug 8 Sewn CornerGo to the sewing machine and using a straight stitch, sew directly along the drawn diagonal line. 

Heart Mug Rug 9 Trimmed CornerTrim the excess corner off ¼” away from the seam. 

Heart Mug Rug 10 Pressed CornerOpen the piece outward and press the seam open.

Repeat the process with the second 3" background fabric square but this time place it on the bottom left-hand corner of the strip set. Heart Mug Rug 11 Second CornerSew, trim, press.

Heart Mug Rug 12 Both Corners CompleteThe bottom section of the heart is complete.

STEP 4. Sewing the top of the heart for the heart block

Heart Mug Rug 13 Top of Heart

Let's make the top unit of the heart.

Heart Mug Rug 14 Fabrics For Heart TopFor the top section of the heart, you will need the two 1 ½" x 3" rectangles and the four 1 ¼" background squares.

Heart Mug Rug 15 Marked SquaresDraw a pencil line from corner to corner on the wrong side of all the 1 ¼” background squares. 

Place one square, right sides together, on each upper corner of the 1 ½” x 3” rectangles with the diagonal lines going toward the center of the rectangle.

Heart Mug Rug 16 Sewn SquaresStitch directly on the drawn line.  Trim excess corner fabric ¼” away from the seam. Press seams toward the darker fabric.Heart Mug Rug 17 Ironed Squares You now have two units that look like the above photo.

Heart Mug Rug 18 Top completeSew these two 1 ½” x 3” units together along the short sides to create the top of the heart.  Press this seam open.

Heart Mug Rug 19 Top Sewn onSew the top and bottom units together to create the heart. 

The heart should measure 5 ½” square. 

Step 5:   Attach border strips to the heart block

To finish the heart block, let's add border strips.  You will need the two 1 ½" x 5 ½" strips and the two 1 ½" x 7 ½" strips.Heart Mug Rug 20 Borders Start with the two 1 ½” x 5 ½” strips and sew one to each side of the heart.  Press the seams toward the border.

Then sew the other two strips (1 ½” x 7 ½”), one to the top and one to the bottom of the heart to complete the block.

Heart Mug Rug 21 Borders AttachedThe heart block unit is completed.

Step 6: Complete the heart mug rug top

I like my mug rugs large enough to hold a beverage and a snack. So we are going to add some fabric to the right side of the heart block.

Get the three 2" x 7 ½" strips that you cut previously.

Heart Mug Rug 22 Side StripsArrange the three assorted 2” x 7 ½” strips in your preferred order and sew them together along the long sides.  

Heart Mug Rug 24 Side Strips BackPress the seams in one direction. Heart Mug Rug 23 Side Strips SewnThis unit should measure 5” x 7 ½” when complete.

Sew this unit to the right side of the heart block unit, pressing the seam towards the strips. 

Heart Mug Rug 25 Heart and Strips

The mug rug top is complete.  All that is left is to quilt and bind.

Step 7: Quilting the heart mug rug

To quilt the heart mug rug, create a quilt sandwich.

Heart Mug Rug 26 Mug Rug Top Back Batting

If you haven't cut the batting yet, from some leftover cotton batting from a previous project cut a piece 8" x 13".  

You will also need a backing fabric that measures 8” x 13.  This can be a solid piece of fabric OR you can make a scrappy backing like I did measuring 8” x 13”.

Heart Mug Rug 27 Pieced Backing

 Lay the backing fabric wrong side up on a flat surface.  Lay the batting on top, smoothing out any wrinkles and then position the well-pressed mug rug on top, right side up.

Heart Mug Rug 28 Layered and PinnedPin the three layers together so you can machine-quilt it.  Quilt as desired.

 How did I quilt it?

Heart Mug Rug 29 Quilted

You may wonder how I quilted the heart mug rug. 

I stitched 1-inch diagonal lines across it.  Using a quilter ruler with a 45-degree angle, I placed the 45-degree diagonal line along the bottom of the mug rug and drew a pencil line.  (This is the first quilting line). 

Then I fastened the sewing machine's stitch guide, 1 inch from the needle.  After increasing the stitch length slightly, I began stitching on the drawn line. 

Afterward, I used the stitch guide when quilting the balance of the mug rug.

Step 8: Attach binding to the back of the mug rug

After quilting, I used my favorite cutting tool, the Quilter's Slidelock, to trim the backing and batting even with the mug rug top with a rotary cutter.

Heart Mug Rug 30 Trim Around

To finish the mug rug, double-fold binding will be sewn to the back of the mug rug first and then edge stitching to secure binding to the front.  To make the double-fold binding you will need a 2 ½” wide by at least 50 inches long piece of fabric. 

Want a scrappy look?  Make the binding by sewing 2 ½” strips of fabric together on the diagonal.  Check out our tutorial on how to join binding strips together.

Heart Mug Rug 31 Scrappy BindingAfter you have the binding strip, fold it in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together and use an iron to press it flat.

Take the mug rug quilt sandwich along with the binding to the sewing machine.  Heart Mug Rug 32 Attach Binding To BackFlip the mug rug so the back side is facing up. 

Using a quarter-inch sew allowance, start to sew on the binding on one of the long sides about 1/3 from the bottom, and align the raw edges of the binding strip and the mug rug leaving a 5 - 6 inch tail. Backstitching at the start.Heart Mug Rug 33 Sew On Binding The folded edge of the binding should be facing toward the center of the mug rug.

Sew the binding as per usual mitering the corners.  We have a YouTube video demonstrating how to sew the mitered corners that you may find helpful.

As you approach the starting point, STOP about 5 – 6 inches away. Heart Mug Rug 34 Binding EndsIt’s important to leave a 5 – 6 inch gap between where you started and where you end.  Again, don’t forget to backstitch.

To join the two ends of the binding strip, take the mug rug to the ironing board and fold the two ends back on themselves until they butt up together in the middle of the unsewn gap.Heart Mug Rug Binding Ends Matching

Press these folded ends with an iron to make a crease.  Now, open the binding and with right sides together, match the creases, pin and sew together on the crease line. Heart Mug Rug 36 Binding Attached

Don’t trim the excess fabric yet!  Make sure that the length of the binding fills in the unsewn gap correctly. If it doesn't, readjust the stitching. If it does, trim excess fabric with a ¼” seam allowance, finger press the seam open, fold it in half and finish sewing the binding to the mug rug.

Step 9:  Sew binding to the front of the mug rug.

With the binding sewn to the back of the mug rug, it’s time to sew it to the front.

Once you've attached the binding to the back, go to the ironing board and with the mug rug back facing up, press the binding away from the mug rug. Heart Mug Rug 37 Iron Binding

Flip the mug rug so it is right side up and wrap the binding over the raw edge of the mug rug to the front; mitering the corners as you go. Use sewing clips (or pins) to hold it in place. Heart Mug Rug 38 Clip Binding to Front

To sew the binding to the front, use a straight stitch and sew 1/8 inch or less from the inside folded edge. This is called edgestitching.

To edgestitch you can use a regular presser foot or a blind hem presser foot.

 Heart Mug Rug 39 Sew Binding To Front My favorite way to sew binding to a quilt is to use the blind hem foot making a neat, tidy look. To use it, attach the foot to the sewing machine, adjust the needle position to the right so the needle goes into the fabric 1/16 – 1/8 inch from the inside fold. When stitching I keep the presser foot vertical guide bar flush against the fold on the binding.

If you use a regular presser foot, don’t adjust the needle position and use the center of the presser foot as your guide when stitching.

Whichever presser foot you use, begin at one mug rug corner and stitch forward and backward a few stitches. Continue stitching about 1/8 inch or less away from the inside fold until you reach the next corner. When you get there, with the needle down, pivot the mug rug and begin stitching again.

Continue sewing until the binding is completely sewn onto the mug rug.

Heart Mug Rug 41 Closeup BindingThe above picture is a closeup of the edgestitching.

Note: A blind hem foot is a handy foot for hemming, binding, edgestitching and topstitching. If you would like to buy a blind hem foot, try a blind hem foot universal one like one of these.  Just make sure to read the description to make sure it will fit your machine.  For under $10, you can purchase one and it will be a lot easier and neater to finish projects.

Step 10: Enjoy!

That’s it!  The heart mug rug is finished. Heart Mug Rug 40 Completed Mug Rug

One of my favorite things about this mug rug pattern is it didn’t cost anything since the project was made with all scrap fabric. Heart Mug Rug Two Enjoy this free Valentine's mug rug pattern to make it for yourself or gift to someone special.

Have a heart day of sewing!

 Annette's Signature 

PRINTABLE PDF TUTORIAL - If you would like an ad free printable version of this tutorial optimized for printing, please visit our Etsy Shop listing for Heart Mug Rug Pattern Perfect for Valentine's Day #ad. For a small fee, you can purchase a PDF downloadable version of this tutorial.




QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about this project, contact us through the YouTube Video comments or our Contact Us page. We respond to questions in e-mails and YouTube comments regularly.

Supporting Products and links: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. We make a small commission on sales through the affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for your purchase and your support! Please see our full Affiliate Statement for more information.

Clover Wonder Clips

Clover Wonder Clips #ad

Keep layers of fabric in place for sewing, quilting or more using the Clover Wonder Clips. These mini fabric clips offer a firm grasp even while on the go. Affiliate Link to Joann

Iron

Iron #ad

Find an iron for your quilting and sewing needs. Amazon has lots of outstanding popular brands with a wide range of pricing. Differently you will find what you need here. Affiliate Link to Amazon

OLFA 18-Inch x 24-Inch Self-Healing Double-Sided Rotary Mat

OLFA 18-Inch x 24-Inch Self-Healing Double-Sided Rotary Mat #ad

Use only rotary cutters and blades,Suitable for any small to medium size project Affiliate Link to Amazon.com

OLFA 24" x 36" Double-Sided, Self-Healing Rotary Mat

OLFA 24" x 36" Double-Sided, Self-Healing Rotary Mat #ad

Double-sided mat is solid green on one side for general crafting and has grid lines marking inches on other side for detailed cutting Affiliate Link to Amazon.com

Olfa Rotary Cutter

Olfa Rotary Cutter #ad

Cuts through 6 layers at once. Dual-action safety lock. Ergonomic handle for comfortable cutting; blade moves to opposite side for left-handed use. Affiliate Link to Amazon

Omnigrid Ruler 3 1/2 x 24 inches

Omnigrid Ruler 3 1/2 x 24 inches #ad

3 1/2 x 24-inch ruler is used to cut strips, shapes and bias pieces when quilting. This ruler has 30 degree, 45 degree and 60 degree angles lines marked for easy alignment of fabric. Affiliate Link to Michaels

Quilter's Slidelock Ruler

Quilter's Slidelock Ruler

The Quilters Slidelock is a non-slip quilting ruler for rotary cutting that solves the two biggest problems quilters face while trying to cut fabric: slippage and sliding. The Quilters Slidelock holds the fabric securely, protects fingers, and most importantly, is easy to use. Affiliate Link to Sew Be It Quilts

Sewing Scissors

Sewing Scissors #ad

A huge selection of sewing scissors are available at Amazon.com. Affiliate Link to Amazon.com

Singer Pearlized Head Straight Pins

Singer Pearlized Head Straight Pins #ad

150 count, assorted color head pins, 1 1/4" Affiliate Link to Amazon

Wonder Clips by Clover

Wonder Clips by Clover #ad

These mini clips feature great holding capacity and have a multitude of uses when quilting and sewing. Each clip opens wide to hold layers of fabric and the clip base is flat for easy feeding to the presser foot. Affiliate Link to Amazon






Heart Mug Rug Pattern - pin


Profile Photo

Annette & Chris are a mother/daughter team. We've brought you craft projects and tutorials through this web site for over 20 years.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

100K YouTube Subscriber Celebration - Free Book Offer

Quilting Shopping

Quilting Topics

Fat Quarter-300x250 Accucut - 250x250 ElectricQuilt - Small Connecting Thread - General Memory Stitch - General

Profile Photo

Annette & Chris are a mother/daughter team. We've brought you craft projects and tutorials through this web site for over 20 years.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

100K YouTube Subscriber Celebration - Free Book Offer
Sertify Women Owned Business Sertify Small Business

Looking for something you cannot find on our site? Click here to Contact Us.

Copyright ©2003 - 2024 Needlepointers.com. All Rights Reserved. | Powered by w3.css

Secured by RapidSSL