Wooden Conversation Hearts

I hope this finds everyone staying warm this winter. While the weather is far from warm here it gives us time to work on ‘projects’. With Valentines arriving I thought it would be fun to make chunky hearts similar to the chunky pumpkins I did for fall. I had a leftover 2X4 and a hubby willing to go out in the cold to cut them for me. Now I have at least a little bit of Valentine decor in my home.




First gather materials (they are not all shown in the picture): 2X4, paint, contact paper or vinyl, sand paper, and varnish (I use Krylon clear spray).

I drew out the heart shape on a piece of cardstock with the angles. They are 4 1/2 inches wide and the width of the 2X4 tall. My hubby cut them using his table saw for the indent and the chop saw for the outside angles. He’s much better at this than I am so I’m glad he loves doing it for me.
I then sanded the edges and created the goofy edges by sanding each edge uneven.

I used a variety of pinks and red to paint each heart. If you want them to be just like the conversation hearts we all love you can paint them most any color.

While the paint dries I got to try out my new toy. A SILHOUTTE!  I am so excited to have one, you will probably see more projects using it. The more I play with it the more ideas I get.
I really like the look of the words painted on instead of vinyl so I cut the words out on contact paper. Then I took off the letters and used the other part as a stencil. Make sure you stick it on good so the paint doesn’t bleed under the contact paper. I found the Pearl paint was hard to get it to stick to so I opted not to put words on that heart. (Or you can use vinyl words.)
Next paint the words in a contrasting color or red if you are imitating the original conversation hearts.
 
Then i sanded to various edges to give it a little more personality. My hubby does not understand this step. He always asked why I am making new look old. I think it makes each one more unique. Then I spray with a clear spray (Krylon Crystal Clear in matte) with a few coats. Then display and enjoy. 

I wish you all a wonderful Valentines Day! It’s so much fun to celebrate with those we love. My hubby has already ordered my Hawaii flowers, I’m so excited. He has gotten me those every year since Hawaii has become one of our favorite places to go. So don’t forget to tell your family that you love them and enjoy this season.