Surely I’m not a hoarder, right!? There are things that are easy to throw out. Toys the dogs have chewed on, stained socks with holes, and junk mail… no sweat!

But when it comes to craft supplies and crafting leftovers, you better watch out! I had cut some boards for another project, but I looked down on the floor and saw that my scraps were actually some really cute block type pieces of wood. I had to save and use them for something. It was a must. Well, lucky for all of us that I did, because these little pieces of fire kindling turned into a great little DIY.

I decided I would make some simple heart blocks and books ends. I love the simplicity yet loud message a heart speaks. What a cute little accent these would be on shelves and dressers.

The first step was to sand the pieces so they became smooth with rounded corners. This step is the most critical because the wood goes from looking like a scrap piece of wood to a block. Electric sanders work great, but I like to do this step by hand because I am OCD, and I want them perfect.

I then picked out some fun colors and painted the blocks. Once they were painted on both sides, I cut a heart out of cardboard to create a stencil. I then placed this in the center of my block and painted the heart in.

I ended up creating several different sized heart stencils. This idea for a sign is similar to my ‘you are my sunshine’ sign.

I was pretty happy with how the blocks were turning out, but the second most critical step for me was to rough the blocks up a little. After they were painted, I sanded them to create a little more rustic look. I then sprayed my favorite shiny clear Rustoleum spray paint all over the blocks.

I love how the blocks turned out. To turn some of the larger ones into book ends, I attached a 4″ L bracket to the bottom of two of the blocks.

I think the blocks and bookends turned out so bright and fun. I really like them.

I donated this round of blocks to a fun home decor sale in our town. The profits from this sale help send kids in Zambia, Africa to school! If you are local to Warsaw or Winona Lake, Indiana, please come check out the Hither and Yon sale October 16-17. You can find more details on their Facebook page.

Here is a sneak peek of a few more of my projects that I have also donated. I will try to share more details on these two pieces soon.

I think one of the best gifts we have is the ability to use our gifts for good. What a power. The surprise is that we get something in return. It’s a win-win. I was thrilled to make some creations for a good reason. I just might have to buy one of these blocks back because I really like them.

What do you think? Do you have hard time throwing out craft supplies as well? Are you a craft hoarder as well? Maybe someone should make a reality show about us. What have you created out of your scraps?