If you’ve got cane-growing shrubs that need pruning such as forsythia or red-twig dogwood, you’ve got the makings for twig hearts.

Cut out 1/3 of the stems from your shrub, selecting the largest, oldest ones and cutting near the ground. If they are longer than 3 to 4 feet tall, cut the bottoms off to make them 3 to 4 feet. In addition to pruners you’ll need green wire.

Bind two together at the bottom. You could use four or six together as well for wider, heavier hearts. Wire securely.

Push the twigs apart into a “V” shape, grab the top twigs and bring them together to form a heart shape.

Bind these together with wire, but don’t cut the wire short – leave the spool attached while you pull this bundle down toward the ends.

Attach the wire around the pointed end to hold the top part into a heart shape. Given all the twigs, the wire doesn’t really show.

And there you have it! Be sure to use freshly cut stems because they will be flexible and not break. They can dry into the heart shape and stay this way for months.

Happy Valentine’s Day!