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Valentine's Day

DIY Valentine’s Day Chalkboard

January 11, 2017 by Bre 10 Comments

 Looking for a cute DIY Valentine’s Day decoration you can make in no time? Check out this DIY Valentine’s Day Chalkboard!  It’s a super cute way to leave little love notes for anyone who might see your chalkboard!

Turn an unfinished wood heart into an adorable DIY Valentine's Day Chalkboard for a sweet addition to your Valentine's Day decor! This is an easy Valentine's Day craft idea that anybody can make!

Supplies Needed for a DIY Valentine’s Day Chalkboard

This post contains affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission at no added cost to you if you purchase through them.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

  • Craft wood heart cutout
  • Red acrylic paint
  • White paint pen
  • Clear chalkboard coating
  • Foam brushes
  • Chalk
  • Optional: white paint marker, scrapbook paper, scissors, and twine

How to Make a DIY Valentine’s Day Chalkboard

Turn an unfinished wood heart into an adorable DIY Valentine's Day Chalkboard for a sweet addition to your Valentine's Day decor! This is an easy Valentine's Day craft idea that anybody can make!

In just a short amount of time, you can turn pretty much ANY surface into ANY color chalkboard – just like this fun red Valentine’s Day chalkboard I made for my home!  

First you’ll paint your wooden heart with acrylic paint.  Once it’s dry, add any painted embellishments with a paint pen.  I used a white paint pen to make little dashes around the outer edge of the heart.

Turn an unfinished wood heart into an adorable DIY Valentine's Day Chalkboard for a sweet addition to your Valentine's Day decor! This is an easy Valentine's Day craft idea that anybody can make!

After everything was fully dried, I painted on two coats of clear chalkboard coating, making sure to follow the directions on the bottle for dry time, etc.  

This stuff is awesome because you can turn pretty much any painted surface into a chalkboard, without having to buy all different colors of chalkboard paint!

Turn an unfinished wood heart into an adorable DIY Valentine's Day Chalkboard for a sweet addition to your Valentine's Day decor! This is an easy Valentine's Day craft idea that anybody can make!

I let the chalkboard coating dry for several days, and then I “seasoned” my new chalkboard.  Seasoning a chalkboard is basically just rubbing a piece of chalk all over it and making a mess, which you promptly wipe off.  You do this to make sure the surface is ready to use and to prevent words/art from showing on the chalkboard even once they’ve been erased.

Turn an unfinished wood heart into an adorable DIY Valentine's Day Chalkboard for a sweet addition to your Valentine's Day decor! This is an easy Valentine's Day craft idea that anybody can make!

Next, I cut out a scrapbook paper “X” and “O,” and attached them to the top of my new chalkboard with twine.  Then I wrote a sweet little something on my chalkboard, tossed some chalk hearts on there, and washed my hands.  I actually despise chalk.  🙂  

Turn an unfinished wood heart into an adorable DIY Valentine's Day Chalkboard for a sweet addition to your Valentine's Day decor! This is an easy Valentine's Day craft idea that anybody can make!

So yeah, I might not be changing my chalkboard’s message anytime soon, but if I do, I’ll just wipe it off like a regular chalkboard!  The clear chalkboard coating really works.  

Turn an unfinished wood heart into an adorable DIY Valentine's Day Chalkboard for a sweet addition to your Valentine's Day decor! This is an easy Valentine's Day craft idea that anybody can make!

Filed Under: Holiday, Valentine's Day

How to Make a Sentimental Carved Heart Wood Slice

January 25, 2016 by Bre 13 Comments

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Not too long ago I had a dream that my husband and I were strolling through a magical-looking forest with a picnic basket – searching for the perfect romantic spot for lunch.  Once we found it,  we spotted a beautiful tree where we carved a heart and our initials, just like I’d imagine they do in those romance novels I’ve never read.  We decided it will be our special secret place forever.

Um . . . what was that about?

I’m lucky if I see a few trees a day where I live.  There is NO heart carving going on around here!  But I do think it’s a super sweet, romantic, and sentimental idea, so I decided to improvise!  And now I’m sharing the details on how to make a carved heart wood slice in case you like the idea, too.  Hey – Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so this could be a sweet gift for that!  Or even for an engagement, wedding, or anniversary!  Cute! This DIY Carved Heart Wood Slice is a quick and easy project that's a perfect Valentine's Day gift, anniversary gift, wedding or engagement gift! Get the full tutorial here!

Supplies Needed to Make a Carved Heart Wood Slice

Some of these links are affiliate links.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

  • Medium wood slice
  • Wood burning tool
  • Pencil
  • Metallic Lustre in Rose Gold
  • Lint-free cloth
  • Sawtooth picture hanger or small easel

How to Make a Carved Heart Wood Slice

First up, draw your design onto the wood slice with your pencil.  It doesn’t have to be perfect because I doubt you’d be able to carve a perfectly shaped heart if you were out there in the woods doing this.  Make it look sort of authentic, ok?Cute! This DIY Carved Heart Wood Slice is a quick and easy project that's a perfect Valentine's Day gift, anniversary gift, wedding or engagement gift! Get the full tutorial here!

Next, go over the penciled design with your heated woodburning tool. (These tools are REALLY cheap and easy to use – seriously!)  You do not have to have any prior experience using a woodburning tool.  It is so simple!  Cute! This DIY Carved Heart Wood Slice is a quick and easy project that's a perfect Valentine's Day gift, anniversary gift, wedding or engagement gift! Get the full tutorial here!
Gently erase any pencil lines that didn’t get burned and make sure all of the eraser shavings are removed from the wood slice.  If you erase too hard, you’ll leave white marks or discolorations on the wood slice, so be careful!Cute! This DIY Carved Heart Wood Slice is a quick and easy project that's a perfect Valentine's Day gift, anniversary gift, wedding or engagement gift! Get the full tutorial here!

Then, using the lint-free cloth, fill in the heart with the Metallic Lustre to make it stand out a bit more.  Just rub it in there and give it some good shimmer!Cute! This DIY Carved Heart Wood Slice is a quick and easy project that's a perfect Valentine's Day gift, anniversary gift, wedding or engagement gift! Get the full tutorial here!
And that’s it! Pop it onto a little easel or add a sawtooth picture hanger to the back if you want it on the wall.  Cute! This DIY Carved Heart Wood Slice is a quick and easy project that's a perfect Valentine's Day gift, anniversary gift, wedding or engagement gift! Get the full tutorial here!

Cute! This DIY Carved Heart Wood Slice is a quick and easy project that's a perfect Valentine's Day gift, anniversary gift, wedding or engagement gift! Get the full tutorial here!

I showed this to my husband and he said, “aw.”  Then I asked him if he would take it to work and display it in his office.  He looked at me like I have three heads, so I pretended to be sad and offended.  He still hasn’t taken it to work. . .

-Bre

Filed Under: Holiday, Valentine's Day

Glitter Glue Valentines {Free Printable Valentine Cards}

January 30, 2015 by Bre 21 Comments

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Being the mother of a two and four-year old, I consider myself an expert in things that preschoolers love.  Glitter glue is one of those things.  It is like the BEST.THING.EVER when you’re little.

So this year, my kids will be passing out glitter glue Valentines to their friends at school!  And I’m sharing these free printable Valentine cards with you, too!  You can download the PDF file later in this post and print out as many copies as you need!

These Free Printable Valentine Cards are super cute! Attach glitter glue pens to them for a fun no-candy Valentine treat.

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

 I found ten packs of glitter glue at Dollar Tree, which makes these Valentines a total bargain!

You can also find washable glitter glue at Target, and check out these great glitter glue pens at Amazon!

Glitter glue from Dollar Tree is a great no-candy Valentine's Day card attachment!

Print these glitter glue Valentine’s cards at home, or send to your local print shop!

Then attach glitter glue tubes with bakers twine tied through the cards.

These Free Printable Valentine Cards are so cute! Attach tubes of glitter glue for a fun no-candy Valentine card.

Just click to download these Glitter Glue Valentines!

If you’re not into the glitter glue idea, I shared a free printable Valentine last year that used mini stampers.  If you’re looking for that one, you can download it in this post.

If you use these, I hope you and your kids enjoy them!

– Bre

Filed Under: Holiday, Valentine's Day

Light Up Heart Valentine’s Day Art

January 26, 2015 by Bre 22 Comments

Learn how to make your own fun Valentine's Day art with this easy tutorial!

A lot of people hate Valentine’s Day.

I am not one of those people.  I love Valentine’s Day!

It is just so cute.  And it is a fun excuse to eat a lot of chocolate.  And wear pink.  And say cheesy things to special people.

So yeah, I dig it.

Part of my Valentine’s Day celebration this year involves this cute light up heart Valentine’s Day art that I made for my home.  It’s bold and fun, and my favorite part is that it SHINES, day or night!  Learn how to make your own fun Valentine's Day art with this easy tutorial!   [Read more…] about Light Up Heart Valentine’s Day Art

Filed Under: Holiday, Valentine's Day

Upcycling a Folgers Coffee Canister Into an Adorable Vase

February 3, 2014 by Bre 29 Comments

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Hi, friends-

Hope you had a great weekend!  Mine went by in a flash.  I had the inaugural session of “crafts and cocktails” with a dear friend, accompanied my daughter to a birthday party, had a double date, did a ton of laundry, suffered through the Super Bowl, and bought myself some flowers!

I don’t usually buy myself flowers, but some hydrangeas from Trader Joe’s were too beautiful to pass up.  With the awful weather we’ve been having here, I thought I could spend $6 for a little pick-me-up.

And . . . I had the perfect Valentine’s Day vase to put them in – a vase made from a leftover Folgers coffee canister!

Genius! Upcycle a Folgers coffee canister into a vase that's perfect for any occasion!
I’ve alluded to my horder-like tendencies before, but I have to admit that they really are at their worst when it comes to Folgers canisters.  I love these things.  I stockpile them in cabinets all around my house and use them for storage of things like spools of thread, furniture painting supplies, and Legos.
And now, I’ve beautified one in the easiest Folgers coffee canister upcycle ever!
Genius! Upcycle a Folgers coffee canister into a vase that's perfect for any occasion!
No joke, this project took all of twenty minutes and used hardly any materials.
All you need to make one are the following supplies:
  • Folgers coffee canister
  • Burlap ribbon (mine was just under 6″ wide, and it was almost the perfect height for the canister), or fabric
  • Hot glue gun
  • Multi-surface acrylic paint
  • Painters tape
  • Pouncer or paint brush
  • Decorative accents of your choice (I used felt heart stickers and bakers twine)
Once you have your materials gathered:
  1. Paint around the top of the Folgers canister unless you want the red of the container to peek through where your burlap (or fabric) doesn’t cover.  Then, cut your burlap (or fabric) to size and hot glue it to the Folgers canister.
    Genius! Upcycle a Folgers coffee canister into a vase that's perfect for any occasion!
  2. Mark out your design with painters tape.  I kept mine really simple because I knew I’d be adding other decorative elements, but you could get as elaborate as you want.
    Genius! Upcycle a Folgers coffee canister into a vase that's perfect for any occasion!
  3. Apply your paint.  I recommend using a pouncer (the brush pictured below), for this type of paint application.
    Genius! Upcycle a Folgers coffee canister into a vase that's perfect for any occasion!
  4. Once the paint is almost dry, remove your painters tape.
    Genius! Upcycle a Folgers coffee canister into a vase that's perfect for any occasion!
  5. Add any other decorative elements you like!  I chose felt heart stickers and bakers twine since Valentine’s Day is coming up.  The stickers are easily removable, however, so I can switch up the look of this vase anytime I want.
  6. Add flowers and enjoy!
    Genius! Upcycle a Folgers coffee canister into a vase that's perfect for any occasion!

So easy, right?!?

Do you use Folgers canisters for anything or am I just a lunatic?  (Be nice, please.)  Genius! Upcycle a Folgers coffee canister into a vase that's perfect for any occasion!
– Bre (who would probably continue buying Folgers even if it was awful, just because I love the packaging so much.)

 

Filed Under: Holiday, Valentine's Day

Valentine Stamp Printable {Free Printable Valentine’s Day Cards}

January 20, 2014 by Bre 19 Comments

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I just love Valentine’s Day because it is so cute.  It also adds some fun to a gray and dull time of year!

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

In getting ready for Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t pass up these cute two-sided Valentine stampers.  I thought they’d be a darling addition to my preschooler’s Valentine cards for school.

One night while my husband was working late, I decided to create a Valentine card to accompany these cute stampers.  And, of course, I couldn’t resist a cheesy pun: “You get my stamp of approval, Valentine.”

These FREE printable "Stamp of Approval" Valentine Cards are SO cute when paired with mini stampers! They're a great no-candy card for schools!

To attach the stampers to the printed cards, I used a mini hole puncher to place two holes on each card – one higher than the other.  Then I placed some double-sided tape in between the holes and placed the stamper on top.  I then tied some bakers twine through the holes.  These stampers aren’t going anywhere.

Since I’m such a kind and generous person, I’m sharing these free printable valentines with you.  All you have to do is download them here and then print at home, or at your local print shop.

These FREE printable "Stamp of Approval" Valentine Cards are SO cute when paired with mini stampers! They're a great no-candy card for schools!

If you don’t want to order stampers online, you may be able to find some at Target or Dollar Tree!

This Valentine stamp printable is so cute! Get the free download and attach Valentine stampers for a fun, no-candy Valentine card!

If you use this Valentine stamp printable, I hope your kids (and the recipients) enjoy!

– Bre

Filed Under: Holiday, Valentine's Day

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Hi, I’m Bre! Thanks for visiting Average But Inspired, where I show you how to work with what you’ve got to create a home you love.

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