DIY Modern Valentine’s Art

 

Note from Lindsay: I’d like to welcome Lindsay (there are two of us now!) from The White Buffalo Styling Co. as a new contributor to Makely!  Lindsay is one of those gals that has such a relaxed, yet stylish vibe that I feel like her work should be in shelter magazines.  I met her at a blogging conference last year and have been stalking her ever sense then.  I am incredibly excited to have her on board, and I can’t wait to see what she shares with us each month.  Welcome, Lindsay!

I am ecstatic to be a new contributor on Lindsay’s blog!  I first met Lindsay at Haven last year and immediately felt like I had a new, great friend.  Y’all, she’s so nice and seriously funny! I so admire her fearless style of decorating and liberal use of color.  I was thrilled when she asked me to join on as a regular contributor here.  Thanks so much for having me, Lindsay!

Now onto today’s tutorial: the easiest DIY Modern Valentine’s Art ever.

I hear ya.  This has no red, pink, hearts, or cupids.  It is positively not Valentine’s.  Hang in there and let me explain.

I always hear mixed reviews of Valentine’s Day.  Some love it and welcome the chance for a little extra romance and chocolate.  Some say it’s gone overboard and is so commercialized.

I’ve always been somewhere in between.  I love what it represents, but am not a heart and cupid kind of gal.  I have nothing against it and actually think all of that is pretty fun, especially for kids.  I’ve never decorated for the holiday, but we still do something special and write a little card.

This year, my husband Chris and I were talking about what we might want to do.  Some years, we surprise each other.  Other years, we plan something fun together.  And Chris said something that really struck a chord with me.  He was talking about the commercialized holiday and said, “You know, it’s really just about celebrating us, period.”

I was thinking over that later and inspiration struck.  It’s finally time for me to jump on the Valentine’s decor band wagon.  I wasn’t necessarily opposed to red or pink, but I wanted something that fit my style and home.  I was picturing something that had Valentine’s meaning for me, but might be something that I would want to leave up year round.  I mean, who doesn’t need a little reminder of what your relationship is really about on a daily basis?

Here’s how to create your own:

Materials:

Canvas – I came across this black and white storage box at Target and thought, “That lid would be a perfect canvas for my project!”

Scrapbook Paper – I chose some gold glitter to pop against the black and white.

Scissors

Tape or Glue

How to Make Your Own:

1. Write your Letters – I wanted a hand-drawn look, so I flipped the scrapbook paper over and drew my letters.  I drew the letters backwards, so that when you flip the paper over to mount on the canvas, they’re facing the right way.  It’s a bit difficult to draw on glitter paper, so drawing on the back works best.  I practiced this several times to make sure my backwards “S” didn’t look too crazy.

2. Cut out your letters.

3. Glue or Tape your Letters onto Canvas –  I decided to tape mine so that I could re-use this lid with the box it came with, just in case.  I made tiny rolls of Scotch tape and put two on each letter.  They’re holding great!  Hot glue would work, if you’re looking for a more permanent piece.

I chose to put the letters in the bottom right corner.  It just appealed to me visually and I think it’s a bit more artful.

4. Hang your Piece!

I said easiest ever, right?

I really love how it turned out.  I love the color scheme – black, white and gold are some of my favorites!

Now y’all are about to get to know me some more…I’m a romantic.  And I’m an analytical, over-thinker who finds meaning even where there isn’t any.  But I especially love the black and white because symbolically, it reminded me of two opposites joining together to make something beautiful.  Yes, it’s completely cheesy, but romantic to me 🙂

And it’s a great reminder that Valentine’s, and every day for that matter, really is just about US PERIOD.

Thanks for having me, Lindsay!  And great to meet y’all, lovely readers!