valentine's diy: bentwood hearts
Feb 6, 2012 
I’m going to come right out with it. The thought of batting my eyelashes across a candlelit restaurant dinner on Valentine’s Day creeps me out. I’m just not that kind of girl.
What I do go for, however, is cooking a great meal and making sweet somethings for the people I love. A cluster of these lightweight veneer hearts hung in a corner or over the dining room table creates a dreamy little heart forest and transmits a 'modern love' kind of vibe.
Materials: Strips of wood veneer (available in different widths in hardware stores), scissors, awl and cutting board, brads, glue, yarn or ribbon, clothespins, paint, decorative tape or glitter for decorating
Step 1: For each heart, cut two pieces of veneer the same length (I used 10” strips for the smaller hearts and 18” for the larger hearts). Bend one strip and then the other, so the cut ends line up and pinch together.
Step 2: Using a awl and a cutting board or mat, push the awl through to make a hole through all four layers of the veneer. Once the awl is all the way through, flip the stack over and push awl in through the other side so the veneer doesn’t split. Push a brad through and open ends to secure.
Step 3: Add yarn or ribbon to hang by sliding the central “stem” of the heart open and squeezing a line of glue. Position end of yarn over the glue, slide the veneer back and clothespin together until glue dries.
Step 4: Decorate with paint – acrylic gives opaque coverage and watercolor creates a softer effect. Alternatively, add strips of decorative tape to create stripes or add glitter.
Step 5: Hang in a cluster, or tie the hearts to dowels to create a mobile.
Big thanks to Michaels for sponsoring this post and encouraging us to be creative in the way we celebrate Valentine's Day. xoxo
bentwood, diy, valentine's day, wooden hearts in make
Reader Comments (8)
what a sweet and beautiful idea!! i can't wait to make this (i love your easy-to-follow directions) and hang them in my home. i have a feeling i'll want to keep them up far past valentine's day! thanks for a lovely idea.
I'm not a big Valentine's Day girl either, but I love these -- especially the ribbon trim. And so fun to be able to see all sides as they flutter in the "wind"!
I just did this project and it looks FABULOUS above my dining room table! After I read your post (I'm a huge fan) I was going to Michaels anyway for another project, so I just added a few extra supplies to my list. I used lots of glitter and some small rhinestones on my hearts, and even when I dim the lights, love still shimmers all around the room! I think this is my favorite of the many Kelly creations I've made. Thanks!
Love them Kelly. I'm going to put a bunch in our entrance hall. Thanks so simple and great looking.
These are great and so cheery. They seem like the perfect atmosphere to create for Valentine's Day--sentimental but not mushy! Wondering what other kind of shapes could hang to create different moods, too. Thanks for a great idea.
I love these!!! I made them and hung them over our dinner table and my 3 year old daughter flipped out. Who knew her mother was so crafty. Thanks for the GREAT idea.
It's really nice and sweet:) Most adorable things to place above a bed.
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Love them Kelly. I'm going to put a bunch in our entrance hall. Thanks so simple and great looking.
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