Out Of All the Moments… Wood Plank Stained Heart {DIY}

When I shared my XOXO Wall Art I told you then that I don’t decorate much for Valentine’s Day, and that’s still true. But, I do like browsing Pinterest and my favorite home decor magazines for something that strikes my fancy. For this stained heart project, I was inspired by the Striped Heart Plaque from Ballard Designs. Inspired being the key. That’s different than figuring out a knock-of project. I like the simplicity of the heart on the planks, especially with the scripted quotes.

For my own piece, I began by scrounging through my dads selection of pallet wood and talking him into putting together a simple rectangle for me. Power tools. I get limited access to them, although I just don’t know why. Anyway, I chose a few pretty pieces and he had them ready for me in no time.

I had originally thought of painting them in a grey like the Ballard art, but decided for the space in my home I wanted to try something entirely different and stain the heart onto the wood. If you’re looking to recreate the original look, a quick coat of gray paint and a white heart will do the trick.

Using my kids sidewalk chalk, because that’s what I had on hand, I sketched the heart that I wanted.

Then using my Minwax wood stain in English Chestnut and old paintbrush, I filled it in. I was careful not to go all the way to the edges of the sketched heart, because I know that depending on the type of wood being used, the stain can spread (think ink getting wet on paper). Thankfully I got it right on the first try and didn’t have to figure out how to fix it if it has spread too far across the wood past my original chalk sketch.

After wiping off the excess stain, I set it out in the sun for the afternoon to dry.

It’s really pretty enough like it is, without the scripted words. But I still wanted to add them so the next day I found a quote that I liked in my Words board on Pinterest, and free handed it into the heart with a white paint pen.

When that was finished, I found the white to be too bright, so I gave is a light sanding with a sanding block and then very lightly went back over the script with my original stain. This helped knock down the brightness quite a bit until I was happy with it.

I love the unfinished wood and stain against my blue wall. It’s perfect for my space. 

If you like this wood plank (pallet wood) project, then make sure you check out my DIY Chalkboard Map too.

And if you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day inspiration make sure you check out my Valentine’s Day board on Pinterest.

Follow Molly Wag @Just A Little Creativity’s board Valentines on Pinterest.


If you have a fun project you’d like me to see and share with my readers, let me know. I may feature it on my Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest pages!