For this heart I've used thread about size 20 or pearl cotton size 8 and three buttons (with four holes) about 10 - 12 millimeters in diameter (slightly smaller than ½ inch).
This is a very simple heart and I prefer to tat it this way… wind a shuttle with the thread that you want to use and leave a "tail" of about 2 - 2½ yards. Wind this tail on to a shuttle if you want to (continuous thread method) or just leave it hanging… This tail is your ball thread.
CLOVER
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring of clover, 4ds, p, 4ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 6ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds join to next hole of button no 3,
4ds, p, 6ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds, p, 4ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 6ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds join to next hole of button no 3,
4ds, p, 6ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds, p, 4ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 6ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds join to next hole of button no 3,
6ds, p, 4ds CL
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 6ds join to next hole of button no 2,
4ds, p, 6ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds, p, 4ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 4ds RW
RING 6ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds join to next hole of button no 2,
4ds, p, 6ds CL RW
Switch shuttles (or use your "tail" to tat these few stitches)
RING 3ds, join to last p of prev chain, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds,
p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 3ds CL RW
Switch shuttles (or use your "tail" to tat these few stitches)
CHAIN 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev "shuttle-one-ring", 4ds, p, 4ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 6ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds join to next hole of button no 2,
6ds, p, 4ds CL
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 6 ds join to next hole of button no 1,
4ds, p, 6ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds, p, 4ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 6ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds join to next hole of button no 1,
4ds, p, 6ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds, p, 4ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 6ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds join to next hole of button no 1,
4ds, p, 6ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
RING 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 4ds, join to first p of first ring of clover,
4ds CL RW
CHAIN 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 2ds RW
On the blue heart I've made the chains 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1, just to make it slightly different…
R1: 6ds, p, 4ds, join to button no 1, 6ds, p, 4ds CL
R2: 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 8ds, join to button no 2, 8ds, p, 4ds CL
R3: 4ds, join to last p of prev ring, 6ds, join to button no 3, 4ds, p, 6ds CL RW