Rustic Heart Wall Art (10 Days of Valentines)

What’s Valentine’s Day like for you and your sweetheart? Are there big elaborate gifts? Or fancy dinners out?

For my hubby and I, the days of waiting 2 hours to get a table, or spending $100 on some roses that will die in a week are a thing of the past. For us, Valentine’s day is usually spent at home. I’m sure you’re thinking how boring can you be?

One of us will make dinner for the other (a little fancier than our normal cuisine), and we do a small gift exchange, then settle down to watch a movie on Netflix. What means more to me than dropping $80 for a dinner one night out of the year is all of the little things my hubby does throughout the year. Him coming home from the grocery store with my favorite pint of ice cream or my favorite decor magazine. Him doing the dishes and helping me saw some boards for my next project. Him helping me paint the dining room once again … after I changed my mind on the color multiple times. Gifts to me include him teaching our teenager how to drive so my nerves can stay in tact.

So on Valentine’s Day, do I expect him to do a little something? Absolutely, but him being sweet throughout the year is much more valuable to me.

Porch.com and Valspar contacted me a few weeks ago asking if I would be part of their 10 Days of Valentines tour, and of course I jumped at the chance. On their site, you can you research professionals, and read lots of fun posts about everything from how to decorate to making your home more energy efficient.

Valspar sent me a gallon of Fairmont Penthouse Garnet from their Reserve line.

Porch.com sent me a mystery gift, which turned out to be a pretty little set of stencils

With these gifts, I decided to make a little Valentine’s Day wall art (but this could actually be used year round).

I started by cutting out a 16″ x 16″ piece of wood I salvaged from an earlier project.

Using a plank from an old pallet, the hubby cut down the board into a heart shape.

I thought about painting the entire heart one color, but I liked the grain and knots running through it, so I decided to let some peak out.

I painted the far edges with my leftover Valspar’s Exotic Sea — I used this color on my most popular post of the year, my turquoise dining room table makeover. I didn’t want it too bold, so I watered it down using a 50% paint 50% water mixture.

I then spray painted the gold piece with Valspar’s metallic gold spray paint. Once all of the pieces were dry, I glued them to the board with wood glue.

After the glue was dry, I laid my stencil in the middle of my heart, and used a sponge dobber to lightly apply the paint.

For the next nine days the girls below will be featuring their projects, make sure you visit them too!