How to Make a Simple Heart Garland
Want to add a gorgeous garland with a sweet sentiment to your mantel in one afternoon? Grab your stash of paint and a few supplies and let's dive into making this simple heart garland.
Start by tracing a heart pattern and cut out each heart. We used five for this garland project. If you want to cut out more, they are great tucked into gift baskets or make a great mini gift for hanging in a window.
Mix paint with salt medium (I used Saltwash®) until desired thickness.
Apply paint to wood shape, covering front and sides. Let dry and apply to the back of each shape.I like to apply the the paint mixture a bit thicker, so when you sand off the last layer, you have a distressed, layered look of colors. The base color can be whatever you want to show through after sanding.
Here are hearts with the first layer of paint.
Once the first layer is dry, apply your second layer. I used a couple different blues and a creamy white/vanilla color, roughly blending for variation in color.
Cover all heart tops, sides and backs with paint, drying in between until all hearts are covered and dry.
Here's what my hearts look like after the second coat.
Sand hearts until you achieve your desired look.
Drill holes to accommodate the size of your jute twine. Wipe away any dust using a damp cloth.
Apply foam crafting/scrapbooking letters to some/all of your hearts. I used the words "hope," "faith," and "love."
Next, paint your letters. A sponge brush worked well for dabbing paint onto the foam letters. I chose to use the same blend of colors for a monochromatic look, but you could use a contrasting color, if you want. Wipe away any unwanted paint.
You could do words on all the hearts, or none at all. Completely up to you!
Here's a close-up of "hope."
Arrange your hearts in the order you’d like them and figure out the width and drop you want for your mantel. I found tying the jute twine and having the knot on the front helped keep the hearts forward-facing. Do this for each heart along one long string.
You can anchor using heavy objects (we did this on the left side with a heavy lantern) and/or use screw-in eye hooks toward the back side of the mantel (we did this for the right side).
Resources for this project:
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Love this! Fantastic job!
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Thanks so much, Tina!
Frequently asked questions
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hi if i mix paint and salt or paint anbd sugar,
wont it get bad or attract insects?