To make the romantic vintage-style heart hanger I'm sharing today, I shopped my home for supplies. We were recorded as the coldest place on earth with temperatures at -37.8 °C (-36.04 ℉). The last thing I wanted to do was venture outdoors to buy materials for this Valentine's craft.

Welcome to the first Int'l Bloggers Club challenge of 2020, and we are starting the year with a Vintage Valentine theme. Since I used things around the house to make this Valentine's heart hanger, it cost absolutely nothing to make.

Vintage-Style Valentine Door Hanger

While I made the DIY heart hanger for Valentine's decor it could also be used as a pretty Victorian Christmas decoration or wedding decor.

Now realizing that not everyone has a stash of craft supplies on hand, the supplies to make this heart can be found at the dollar store or Michael's.

If you are new here and haven't heard of the Int'l Bloggers Club, We are a group of bloggers from South Africa, Australia, the Netherlands, the USA, and Canada who come together on the third Monday of every month to share a DIY project with a common theme.

Our previous challenge was Christmas where I upcycled unfinished wooden stars from the dollar store with a rustic barn wood patina. You'll find our talented group's vintage valentine's projects at the bottom of the post. Please be sure to check them out before you go.

What You'll Need To Make It

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Supply List

6-inch Wooden Heart (instructions below to make one)
Vintage Scrapbook Paper
Self-Adhesive Pearl Stickers
20 Gauge Craft Wire
Mod Podge
Warm White Acrylic or Chalky Paint
Brown Glaze
Skeleton Key Charm
Small Pearl Beads

How To Make A Vintage-Style Decoupage Heart Hanger

I didn't have a heart shape on hand so I had to Macgyver one. But there are unfinished wood and paper mache hearts readily available to use instead. But if you're up for making one for free, then I've included easy-to-follow instructions below.

I used power tools to make mine but you could make them without and I've included instructions for both. If you're like me and prefer the quickest way to get 'er done, power tools are the way to go.

Step One - How To Make A Wooden Heart

1. Make a 6-inch heart template with craft paper. For a perfectly symmetrical heart, fold the paper in half and draw one side of the heart.
2. Cut along the pencil line with scissors and unfold the paper.
3. Keep the paper with the heart cut out because we'll be using it later.
4. Trace the heart onto a sheet hardboard (can be cut by hand) or thin scrap wood (cut with a jigsaw).

Option 1 - Cut Heart Shape Without Power Tools

With a sharp retractable craft knife carefully score the hardboard along the pencil line. It'll take several passes before it cuts all the way through. Sand the edges smooth with a sanding pad or sandpaper. Easy but a little harder on the arm.

Option 2 - Cut Heart Shape With Power Tools

1. Secure the hardboard (or thin wood) onto your work surface with clamps.
2. Make sure the cut side is hanging beyond the work table.
3. Carefully cut along the pencil line with a jigsaw.
4. Sand the edges smooth with a mouse or palm sander.

Now we're ready to give the heart some paint.

Step Two - Paint The DIY Wood Heart Hanger

Paint 2-3 coats of warm white latex, acrylic craft paint, or chalky finish paint. I used mineral paint in the color Drop Cloth that I had on hand. To give the heart a timeworn look, distress along the edges with 150 grit sandpaper (pictured in the step below).

Step Three - How To Decoupage The Vintage-Style Heart Hanger

Now here's where the vintage comes in. We're going to decoupage the painted DIY heart hanger with vintage-style scrapbook paper.

HANDY TIP

Remember the heart cut-out paper that I asked you to hang onto earlier when making the heart template? This is where it comes in handy to use as a cropping tool. It's a great way to gauge how the paper will actually look within the heart.

1. I picked several sheets of scrapbook paper from my stash that I liked.
2. Next, I ran the cropping tool over each one to see if I liked the pattern on the front of the heart.
3. I settled on the pretty roses with newsprint paper and ran the heart cropping tool over the entire sheet to see which pattern placement I liked the best.
4. Trace the heart shape on the paper and cut it out.
5. Brush Mod Podge onto the back of the paper heart and set it onto the painted heart.
6. Lightly rub an old credit card or plastic scraper over the paper to remove any air bubbles.
7. Once dry, brush two coats of Mod Podge on the top of the heart, allowing it to dry between coats.

Step Four - How To Age The Decoupage Heart Hanger

That last step in the previous section is important before aging the paper heart.

To age the heart you can use brown glaze, burnt umber acrylic craft paint, or brown wax. Lightly brush the glaze, wax, or paint over the heart and remove the excess with a lint-free rag. Feather more around the edges with an art brush but this time don't wipe it back. Let it dry before moving on to the next step

Step Five - Embellish The Valentine's Heart Hanger With Pearls

To add a pretty feminine touch embellish the heart with self-adhesive pearl stickers from the dollar store. Mine was leftover from the Wedding Card Box that I made for my son's wedding. Simply peel and stick the pearls around the heart. You may need to add a dab of hot glue here and there to attach them securely to the heart.

Step Six - Attaching Hanger Wire To The Heart Hanger

Drill two small holes on the top of the heart for the wire hanger. Alternatively, you could use an Awl and hammer to make the holes. I used silver wire to tie in with the metallic silver diamonds on the paper. A rose gold wire would have been lovely too.

Pull the 20 gauge craft wire through the back and out the front of the heart and twist closed with needlenose pliers. Leave long strands of wire on either end and wrap them around a pencil to curl them like I did.

Step Seven - Key To My Heart Embellishment

Embellish the front of the heart with a blingy skeleton key charm. With a lighter gauge wire or jewelry cording, string small beads on top of the key and attach them to the wire hanger. Add a small ribbon bow on the top and we're done!

Here's another shop-your-home-for-materials craft idea using a recycled pizza box to make a pretty Valentine's heart wreath.  For more DIY Valentine decor ideas visit my Valentine Ideas Page.

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this DIY wood heart hanger Valentine's craft idea.

Almost all of our DIY ideas have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and YouTube.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this Vintage-Style Heart Door Hanger, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your favorite board on Pinterest.

I invite you to click on the links below to visit our talented group members' vintage valentine projects. If you don't have time today, you can bookmark the page by pressing the pink heart icon on the right to come back later.

No-Sew Quiver Macrame Arrows | A Crafty Mix
Fresh Herb Heart Wreaths | Northern Feeling
Jute String Frame Valentine Coupon Display For Families | Faeries and Fauna
Vintage Valentine Hanging | Unique Creations By Anita
Vintage-Style Valentine Door Hanger | Interior Frugalista (that's me)

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.