Are you looking for the easiest Valentines day DIY project ever? That’s what I was doing. Valentine’s day is fast approaching and I needed to share a project with you, my friends! I wanted to do something that you all could do, and I think I found the perfect project that anyone can do, regardless of their skill set, tools or supplies.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have free junk
Last September I collected this free lath wood from a “flip house” across town. It was hot, and there were mosquitos and dust everywhere. There was a lot more where this came from, but since I didn’t have any idea of what I was going to do with it, I left a lot behind.
*This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.*
Valentine's Day DIY with Reclaimed Wood
I cut my lath boards on my compound miter saw. If you don’t have junk just laying around like I do, you could purchase some shims, or even use some paint sticks for this project.
Cut a stencil
I used my Silhouette Portrait to make a contact paper stencil. What? You don’t have a electronic cutting machine? no problem! Just cut a heart shape out of some newspaper or cereal box. We all learned how to cut a heart shape in grade school, right? Just fold your paper and cut that shape!
I was sort of jumping all over the place with this Valentine's Day DIY project, so the step by step photos may seem to be a bit out of order. Hey! it’s the way I roll….
Initially, I was going to make a square sign, 12x12.
How to use a contact paper stencil
But after laying out my stencil, I realized that a rectangle would be a better option for this easy Valentine's Day DIY project.
I used some DecoArt Americana Calico Red and my favorite Martha Stewart Foam Pouncers to apply the heart shaped design on the boards.
I got ahead of myself. Ooops! I started pouncing the paint on and realized I needed to put my LOVE stencil in place. See, I told you I was all over the place with this project.
I removed the heart stencil, and if you look closely, you can see the LOVE stencil in place.
LOVE stencil
voila! I removed the LOVE.
Then I was trying to figure out if I wanted the cross boards to be on the white side of the small Valentine sign, or the rustic side.
I laid the contact paper stencil on the back side of my boards and stenciled it as well.
After removing the stencil, I decided that the LOVE might look better in the middle of the heart.
Using the negative contact paper cutout
I used the negative portion of the contact paper stencil to paint the LOVE in the middle of the heart.
If you don’t have a Silhouette, you can easily use a paint pen, Sharpie, or paint the word on by hand with a paint brush.
I chose to put the cross boards on the rustic side of the Valentine sign. I used Gorilla Wood Glue weighted down with some thrift store books till it set up. You could use your hot glue gun instead.
Easy Valentines Day DIY decor
This was the perfect easy Valentine décor to use some of these old lath boards, don’t you think?
I’m having a hard time deciding which side I love best! Here is the rustic side on my mantel with the DIY scrap pile candlesticks I made from random bed parts.
So, as a recap, here’s a supply list for you.
- scrap lath boards (you can use shims or paint sticks)
- heart stencil
- glue (Gorilla wood glue or hot glue)
- red paint
- LOVE sticker or a paint pen
If you don’t have access to a saw, the paint sticks would be the best option. Valentines day is right around the corner, but you still have time to do this project!
How about a sweet pallet board Valentine decor? I love this one from DIY Beautify
Here are a couple other quick Valentine’s day décor ideas.
Easy Scrabble Tile Valentine Ideas
Do you decorate for those smaller holidays like Valentine’s day?
gail
girlfromwva
what a great idea. i think using shims would work out for me. thanks for the idea!
Joan
I have yet to find lath just lying around but I can see doing that project out of pallet wood 🙂 I love nice quick projects with big impact.
Mindi
So cute! I like both sides! I have been thinking of doing a valentine's day mantel...I haven't gotten to it yet! I love yours!
Kathleen
Love this. I love making signs from old wood pieces. Beautiful
Rachelmary
You are so creative, I love how you take odds and ends and build everything. I look forward to your posts.please keep them coming. No this is the first time I have posted this.
Rachelmary
You are so creative, I love how you take odds and ends and build everything. I look forward to your posts.please keep them coming.
edward marchesi
the project looks okay, but it's not the kind of wood i would work with. lathe is extremely dry, splits easily, it's too thin to work with, you tend to pick up splinters fast because of its roughness, and not even good to burn. when burning lathe, it snaps, and pops embers all around the fire pit. my personal opinion is that lathe is''t good for anything. don't waste your time picking it up. let the contractor throw it away. that's what HE got paid for. spend your time picking up better junkie wood. sorry if i busted your bubble, but you wanted me to speak my mind. not everything that's free is good.
MJ
Edward,
Good points from the POV of a practical person. But this is a little quick project to make a temporary decoration, not about a new firewood source. And Gail didn't complain about splinters, so i expect she didn't have a problem with that. With your warning at hand other crafters might take notice, but i imagine that if splinters were the issue, with anyone's project, everyone reading this blog would be aware of that from the get-go and act accordingly.
You might have helped by pointing out that to remove those splinters, were it necessary, one can paint on a coat of white glue, let it dry and then peel off the glue-- and the splinter. It's worked for me every time, so far, while building a trellis for my grape vines.
Life is short, enjoy it, and let the DIYers learn for themselves whatever they need to learn about.
I kinda think it's nice you bothered to read in the first place......cheers, friend, and happy decorating to you......
And thanks to gail for inviting us to speak our minds.......
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
Great points from you as well MJ.
Nope, no splinters, and I love FREE wood, no matter where it came from or who was paid to remove it. All I had to do was pick it up. The guy who was paid to do it earned his money. 🙂
Super tip about the glue. Since I don't have anyone to help me remove splinters, this is one I need to remember.
All opinions are always welcome.
gail
MJ
Isn't it great to live in a free country where everyone can speak up? (Well, so far, anyway...)
MJ
Gail, Do try not to embed the splinters in so far that the glue can't reach them! Which would require a minor surgical procedure to do on yourself......ouch!!!
I'm going to use what I have and try to get a wooden valentine made for my sweetheart's new DIL's wall. Pallet scraps in this case. I should be lucky enough to get house parts from a place with walls of wood lathe...!!!!!Not gonna happen where I live.
Edward
MJ,
don't get me wrong, I wasn't criticizing the project. It came out well and looks good. Lathe hasn't been used in such a long time, and whatever is still on the walls has been up on the walls even longer. Like I stated previously, it's very dry, brittle wood. Most times you find it, they are in short unworkable pieces. From my POV not even worth the trouble to work with. For the time, effort used and cost, it's not feasible. It's cheaper
to purchase that at the dollar store. Ladies, ask you man for his opinion on working with lathe. You time will be well spent using a better medium, and longer lasting as well.
Julie @ follow your heart woodworking
It's just beautiful, Gail (on both sides!) I just love lathe, don't you? Your display photos are lovely as well, very pretty set up with the candles, etc.
Rosanne
My husband and I totally remodeled a 1912 4-square house 2 years ago. We saved a ton of the old lathe. Since then we have made hundreds of little boxes from this wood. I put them through the planer first and before brad nailing them together we sand the individual pieces on the belt sander to remove splinters. These are used to sell my homemade soaps in. The more holes in the wood (knots and nail holes) the better they sell. We just hope to have saved enough lathe for future projects. He just made me a valentine heart using some of the damaged old flooring we could not savage. I had in the back of my mind that we should have tried lathe. I just may do it yet!
gail@myrepurposedlife.com
how awesome Rosanne! A planer.... on my wish list!
thanks for sharing your ideas.
gail