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Wood Slice Valentine Art

January 31, 2023 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. What a great opportunity to either make a little handmade gift (or purchase a little handmade gift) to show someone you love that you care! In this post, I am going to show you how I made some wood slice valentine art, and you can do the same!

I first started with some wood slices I have been drying out in my garage, since the fall. If you saw my big 4-0 birthday celebration, you know what these slices are from!

I love buying samples of my paint colors before I paint a new wall in our house.

It allows me to test the paint, stare at it in all kinds of lighting, and then I reuse that paint on other projects. I used a dark, charcoal gray to be the base coat for these wood slices.

Once the base gray color was dry, I went back and painted a soft pink heart in the middle of each one.

The wood slices were still a little textured so I had to be careful to get my smooth lines. I used a small brush and some craft acrylic paint.

I Made a Lot of Valentine Art Signs

I was in assembly line mode making signs. The reason I created a lot was so I could list them in my shop. Although the signs are really fun Valentines’ gifts or art, they are also a powerful reminder to leave up year round!

If you have one scrap piece of wood, you could do this craft idea too. You can also purchase wood slices at most craft stores.

Painting the hearts was my favorite step, but waiting for them to dry was my least favorite step. I was so excited to stylize them up and get some product shots.

There are so many fun color options you could do with this same idea and simple steps. I think a neon version would be so fun too!

It doesn’t have to be a big expensive gift to say “i love you”. I recently sent my mom a little gift, but she said what meant the most were the words in her card. Think of how you could pair a simple gift like this with a card. That’s a gift with meaning that is sure to be the highlight of your receiver’s day!

If you want one of my hearts, you can pick it up in the shop today!

If you need some encouragement in your journey today, I am here to say…you have a strong heart.

No matter what we go through, there is always hope, ability for change, and endless possibilities. We just have to keep going. Small steps are still steps and movement forward. This heart is a reminder that the world needs what you got.

**If you need more encouragement, I’d love to invite you into my new course, Create More Connection.

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How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)

January 23, 2018 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)Have you ever wanted to paint a heart?

Getting both sides of a heart symmetrical while painting can be intimidating. When I have tried to paint a heart by hand, often one side gets larger as I try to perfect it. By the time I go back and forth from working on the different sides, the heart ends up being way larger than I intended.

I came up with this shadow painting trick to paint hearts, and I can’t wait to share it with you. I started by grabbing a bunch of scrap wood pieces. You can use canvases or paper too. Use what you have and have fun!How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)I used some leftover spray paints and sprayed just the top of my wood pieces. I didn’t need the sides covered or for the whole top to be really even. I was just trying to cover the middle of the wood piece well. I will show you why.How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)After I painted the tops, I sanded my signs a little with a heavy grit sandpaper. I wanted the color to be mixed a little with a rustic appeal. By sanding the signs a little, some of the color was removed to show the natural wood below again.How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)This next step is how you get your symmetrical heart. Remember the old elementary school trick of folding a piece of paper in half? Cut one rounded half of your heart, unfold it, and ta-da… perfect heart! So, I cut a bunch of hearts out of thin cardboard. You could use construction paper or even paper bags from the grocery store. Just something that will withstand a little spray paint. The hearts were different sizes and styles. I wanted a mix of different looks, and the different hearts helped create that.  How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)Now, I laid a cardboard heart on each wood sign and spray painted over them with a different color. The heart cardboard acted as a sticker shadow and allowed the new spray paint color to stay off the previous spray paint layer in the shape of a heart. Since this layer of spray paint is the top layer, you do want to spray paint the sides of your heart sign now.How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)My hearts were pretty perfect. I did a light sand job to rough the edges up a bit more and then the signs were complete! If you have been following me for a while, you might remember I did this painting trick on magnets before too! I think these would be so pretty in a gallery wall display, sitting on a shelf, or even given as a Valentine!How to Paint a Heart (scrap wood sign tutorial)Do you give out Valentines? Matt and I aren’t a big Valentines Day couple, but I have created a number of different Valentines for our kids through the years. This notebook valentine was one of my favorites. It’s non-candy and can be used practically after Valentines Day has passed. Which is also what I also like about this wood sign…a wood sign with a heart is timeless! So, I might have to take a sharpie and write a few notes on the back and give these to my kids and friends this year!?!

What do you think? Would you try this technique to paint a heart? You can personalize this craft in so many ways. Changing the color is one way to personalize it to your taste. If you have scrap wood and spray paint too, then this craft is practically free! Enjoy! If you create some wood signs, I’d love to see them! Tag me with #spoonfulproject on social media, so we can all see your creations!

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Squeeze One More Project Out of Your Old Paint Bottles

November 21, 2017 By Erica Deuel 2 Comments

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesIf you paint or have a child that likes to paint, you probably have gone through some paint bottles, right!? For years and years, I have just thrown these little bottles out when they seem to be empty. Now that we have an art studio, we have flown through the paint at crazy fast speeds. Its been so exciting to see others create, but I have thought on several occasions “I wonder what else we could do with these bottles to get more of our money out of them!?”

One day it hit me like a lightning bolt. You know when a shampoo bottle feels out? You add a little water to the bottle and shake it up? Oh, you’ve never done that? Well, you are missing out on a least one more shampoo. You’re welcome. #CheapskatesUnite!

Well, that is exactly what I did with these bottles. I started saving them until I had a big basket of “empty” paint bottles. Once I had a basket of different colors, I added a little water to each bottle and shook the bottle until whatever paint was on the side of the bottle was now mixed up in my water. Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesSqueeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesMy family uses essential oils, so we have these little pipettes for mixing oils up. I used them to suck up water/paint mixture from the bottle to drop on a wooden sign. The results were stunning and mesmerizing to watch a fluid art abstract piece come to life. The best part, this was a practically free project. As our studio has been asked to come into our local schools to complete art projects, we try to come up with amazing projects for not a lot of cost. This was the perfect project for just that. Watch how this project came to life through a group of 5th-grade students and then can follow the steps and create your own.

I prepped some pieces of wood (approx 4in x 6in) with white spray paint, so my watered down paint wouldn’t soak into the wood. This white base acted as a good backdrop to the newly created paint and kept the colors more vibrant.

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesSqueeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesIn the classroom, I stapled on a pipe-cleaner and twisted it up to allow the students to fill it with beads. This added a nice fun texture and hanger to make our wood pieces into hangable signs. You don’t have to do this step to your pieces, but I am a sucker for several textures in my projects.

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesSqueeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesThis project is all about the process. You can’t totally control what your piece will end up looking like, which takes some of the stress of it being “perfect” away. I encouraged the students I was working with to do small drops at a time. Some of the bottles may be more watered down than others. By starting with small drops you can watch as colors blend together on their own to make new colors.

Because this project can be a little messy, depending on your artist, you may want to prep your work area to manage the potential for a little spill/splatter. Because we were going into school classrooms, I purchased a bunch of cheap baking pans from the dollar store for students to use while painting.

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesSqueeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesAnother technique is you can slightly tilt these signs or even stand them up to watch as the paint colors blend and mix to make a stunning abstract piece!

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesI don’t think you can ruin this project. Often students thought they were done and then they would add one more color. At this point, it is usually when it became more stunning. As the signs dried, some of the paint colors would shift and sort out a little. So fun!

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint Bottles

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesSqueeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesSqueeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesWe went back and sprayed a clear protectant on top of our signs, once they were dry. I use a gloss spray that adds a shine and helps them to look finished and more professional. We talked about how you could use this abstract painted piece as the backdrop to then paint a message on top. Maybe to say a phrase or inspirational word like “courage”.

The hardest part of this whole project is washing out the droppers, and it’s not even hard. It just takes a little time. Again, I’m a cheapskate. But you may be more up for discarding these since you can get 100 of them for about $7.Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint Bottles

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesI love how no matter how many times you do this project, no two signs will ever be the same. Depending on the colors you use and how your paint swirls and mixes together…each piece will be unique. This was such an inexpensive project to implement for a 5th-grade class. They had a blast.

I have found this project can be addicting. I’ve done it several times now! It’s great for kids and adults! Try it! Start saving your bottles, so you too can try to get one more use out of your old paint bottles.

Squeeze One More Project Out of your Old Paint BottlesWhat do you think? Will you start saving your paint bottles? I think these finished pieces make a great gift for a family member. Christmas is coming. You can create some masterpieces with your kids for all those proud grandparents.

If you give it a try, please share it with us! We would love to see your creations. Tag us with #spoonfulproject on Instagram or Facebook. Have fun and remember… enjoy the process!

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The Summer Wedding Gift Guide

June 13, 2016 By Erica Deuel Leave a Comment

Summer is here. With summer can come a string of wedding invites. There is something pretty special about two lives coming together to become one.

I love celebrating weddings. I went to one a few weeks ago that my husband officiated, and I was sitting there one proud wife. Weddings are special….and the new life of a couple starting a new season of together is pretty incredible. They should be celebrated. (please note: you can click any image for more details about that item)

blessed_wood_sign

In the morning, when I riseWhen it comes to gift giving, I love to give handmade gifts. I love the time the gift shows with having either made it myself, or the thoughtfulness of finding it from another small crafter that screamed “them” to me. If you really think of the couple’s taste/style and nail it, these gifts often go the distance with the couple rather than something that breaks down or loses value as style changes. These gifts show thought.

A few questions to ask yourself when considering buying a handmade item or making one as part of a wedding gift:

  1. What is their style? Funky, vintagy, simple, colorful, etc.
  2. What do they like to do? Hike, travel, camp, host parties, etc.
  3. What are they about? People, serving, traveling, landscaping, etc.

If you look at the couples gift registry, you can also get ideas for what they like. Speaking of registries, those are important too because obviously it gives you an idea of what the couple needs. That’s why I love to pair either an item from their registry with a handmade gift or a gift card to a place they registered. In this simple way, you are getting them something they need/want, yet something fun that reminds you of them. It’s like a paycheck with a bonus.

For me, signs and embroidery hoops are a few crafts that I love to use as part of my gift.

courage_wood_signIf you sew, it could be a quilt. When Matt and I got married we were given pillow cases embroidered with our initials. It was pretty special.

We had friends that were real trendy and loved to cook, so I made a memo board out of an old frame and chicken wire for their kitchen. They were able to clip recipes, shopping lists, and anything else to it.

You could paint a flower pot for their new home with the house number on it.

You could get a mug made with one of their first pictures on it and pair it with coffee items on the registry.

There are so many possibilities! Use your imagination and think of the couple. Summer nights are a great time to create a gift. But let’s be honest, sometimes you love the couple, have great intentions to be crafty, but things get busy and life happens. If you need a few quick ideas for a gift, there may just be a few in my shop. Click any image to be directed to more details about that item.

smile4

love_is_patientHappy wedding season! Marriage can be hard. Celebrating the wedding day is amazing…but continuing to celebrate and nourish their love way past the wedding day is way more important than one day in the scheme of a lifetime. May we all have eyes to encourage those young and old marriages around us. Marriage is a gift!

Vincent Van Gogh Card

signature

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