Hanging Dove

Here is my latest design, a hanging dove. Doves represent a lot of things, like peace and hope and love, and they’re used in ceremonies across many cultures. I like the idea of giving this dove as a gift to someone you want to send a message to, or to someone who carries a precious memory tied to the dove symbolism.

I design a lot for nurseries and for kids’ bedrooms, but you can use this dove for a wide range of settings—from a quiet kitchen window to an elegant wedding reception. Of course these would also look adorable hanging in a nursery. If you’re going for a neutral, minimalist nursery but still looking to fill up some space, these would be perfect. They’re simple and elegant and they’ll match any decor—and they’re easy to make!

Click here to purchase the dove SVG file bundle and scroll down for the tutorial.

If you missed it above, here is a link to purchase the Dove SVG bundle. Follow along with the video or photo tutorials below when you’re ready to make your dove.

✻✻✻ Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I’m trying to avoid having ads on my site so if it’s a product you were planning on purchasing anyway, please consider purchasing through my links. I really appreciate your support ! ✻✻✻ 

Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

Materials:

Dove SVG bundle
Cutting Machine
Cardstock Paper
Double Sided Tape With Lining
X-Acto Knife or any sharp point
Clear String
Scissors

Video Tutorial:

Photo Tutorial:

Step 1: Cut two dove cutouts

Cut out two doves with your cutting machine. In your cut file, you’ll see 2 doves which are mirror images of each other.

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Step 2: Attach double-sided tape to one dove

Your doves should each have a dotted line cut at the base of their wings and at their tails. On each dove there is a small section of the wing where there is no cut dotted line because the space is so small. If you want you can use a bone folder (if you have one) or just the back of a butter knife and create a small crease like in the image below. It doesn’t make a huge difference but it will give you a cleaner fold. When you hang up your dove you won’t even see this fold but I just wanted to give you perfectionists out there the option to do this.

Cut out a piece of double-sided tape that is about the same length as the base of the dove’s wing. This length will vary depending on what size you make your dove, but if you have cut them out from my template without changing the size, it should be about 1.25 inches or 3.25 cm.

As with my other designs, I use double-sided tape that comes with lining. Place your tape along the fold line of the wing, then place more tape across the rest of the dove’s body.

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Step 3: Attach second dove

Take your second dove and align it on top of the first, making sure they’re exactly aligned.

Once doves are aligned, hold down the dove’s head while lifting up the dove’s body until you can see the tape that is beneath the wing. With your X-acto knife or any sharp object, peel off the liner of just this one piece of tape. Then press down to secure.

Now open up the rest of the dove to remove liner from the other pieces of tape.

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Step 4: Open up wings and tail

Open dove’s wings and tail by gently prying apart and folding along dotted line.

Step 4: Tie string

Thread your hanging string through the dove’s hanging loop.

If you’re using monofilament like in my images, I recommend tying three knots. Monofilament will sometimes unravel so the three knots are extra security. Also make sure to pull your knots nice and tight, but be careful not to pull too tightly that you rip through the paper.

Now your hanging dove is ready!

Questions? Email me at chaivdesign@gmail.com. Feel free to send me photos of your doves or if you post on social media my Instagram is @chaivdesign and Facebook page is Chaiv. Enjoy!