Use this tutorial to learn how I made these DIY Valentine’s Day signs and add some love to your décor.
It is no secret that I am a holiday person! Holidays bring me so much joy! I love decorating for the holidays and Valentine’s Day is no different! I don’t go all out for the holiday of love, but I like to add a few festive touches to my current décor. These DIY Valentine’s Day signs are the perfect way to add a little love to your home without disrupting the aesthetic. Seriously, this little sign would work in anywhere in our house. I made these V-day signs using the same process I used in my reversed canvas (with a shiplap twist) tutorial. A reverse canvas is a fun, easy, and cheap way to personalize your space! I created this shiplap-like version using popsicle sticks. Are you ready to make your own!?!? Let’s get to it then!
Materials for DIY Valentine’s Day Signs
- Stretched Canvas (board canvas will not work for this DIY since we are using the frame)
- Brown Paint (to stain frame)
- Popsicle Sticks – for shiplap background (Make sure they are long enough to stretch over the canvas)
- Paint, cardstock paper, or wooden blocks to decorate canvas
Instructions for DIY Valentine’s Day Signs
Remove Canvas
There are several ways to remove canvas from the wooden frame, so I usually go with whatever tool is closest😊. The canvas can be cut with an x-acto knife or scissors, by cutting along the outside of the staples like you see above. You can also remove the staples with a flat head screwdriver, staple puller, or another prying tool. Please be careful with this step, folks! If you need more help with this step, check out my Reversed Canvas post.
Frame
Mix Stain
Remove the canvas away from your working space to avoid any unwanted stains. To mix the stain, use acrylic paint and water (#CraftingHack). I use this paint and water combo to “stain” pretty much anything that isn’t furniture. Actual stain can be used, but not necessary and will require a longer dry time.
To make the frame color similar to mine, use a 3:1 ratio (3 parts brown and 1 part black). Gradually mix in a few drops of water to thin out your mixture. Test your color and consistency by painting the back of the frame and adjust accordingly. I like being able to see the grain of the wood. This step requires some experimenting, but don’t stress. If it’s too light, add another layer of “stain” or darken your mixture with more black. If it’s too dark, try rubbing it off with a paper towel. Play around with it!
Stain Frame
Using a paintbrush, paint the stain in the direction of the grain. Don’t forget your inner and outer edges and be sure to watch for drips. The back doesn’t need to be stained. Move to the next step while your first coat is drying. If you are in a hurry, a blow dryer or sunlight speeds up dry time. I usually do 1-2 coats on these frames, so it depends one the look you are going for.
Background for DIY Valentine’s Day Signs
To create the shiplap look, lay enough popsicle sticks side by side to cover the opening of your frame. I used 8 6inch popsicle sticks to cover this 5×7 and 12 x 12 frame. Glue at least 3 popsicle sticks to the back, going the opposite direction, to connect the popsicle sticks and create your background. Paint the front of the popsicle sticks or leave them as is. Once the frame and background is dry, glue them to the back of your frame.
If you do not have popsicle sticks or want to use the canvas as your background, check out those steps here.
Decorating your DIY Valentine’s Day Signs
Wooden Block Heart
I have had these wooden blocks from Dollar Tree since the fall and finally figured out something to do with them! Start by laying the cubes on top of your background and decide what size you want the heart to be. Using a hot glue gun, glue cubes together to create rows and then glue the rows together, eventually making the shape of your heart.
Paper Hearts
For this 12 x 12 frame I used 15 1.5” wide hearts. The hearts can either be cut by hand or using your Cricut like I did. If you cut them by hand, create a stencil by folding a small piece of paper in half. Lay the hearts out on the background to verify your spacing and don’t forget to leave space for your #14 like you see in my final image. Once you like the looks of your layout, start gluing them on with hot glue. Now you can add the #14 using paint, vinyl, or marker. I used a marker and a toothpick to get precise lines.
Tag Me
Once it’s dry, you are ready to display your piece! Happy Valentine’s Day! Great job! Be sure to tag me and use #meagannicholedotcom when sharing your reversed canvas! Thanks for stopping by MeaganNichole.com
I hope you have a lovely Valentine’s Day! Do you have a Valentine’s day tradition? I love Alex and I’s somewhat low-key V-Day tradition of going to a local (not really local for us because we live in the sticks, but local for my St. Louis pals), hibachi restaurant without reservations, and sitting at the bar. The bar area is first-come-first-served so there’s always a moment of panic right before we walk in. Kind of like a super safe adrenaline rush. This tradition started when we forgot about Valentine’s Day our second year of dating, but wanted to celebrate regardless. We ended up having a blast and go back every year! I love simple traditions the best! They are easy, but still romantic because they are ours!
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Karley Rizzo
This is so great!!!! I love the “shiplap” idea!! So cute!!! 😍
sarahslemonadelife
I love this! Such a fun DIY and it came out so cute!