Mod Podge Valentine's Hearts - Easy Tutorial

Here's a little crafty something you can whip up while watching TV (tell me again how I got sucked into The Bachelor after swearing never to watch again?). I made these wood, paper and Mod Podge hearts for my little almost-three-year-old because she loves to sort and arrange things like this and also to pick out again and again which ones are her "favorites." I'll probably present them in a cellophane bag tied with ribbon.

Supplies

Bag of wooden hearts ($3.99 for a pack of 16 at Michael's, but I used a 40% off coupon)

Mod Podge or glue (I used Paper Mod Podge -- thanks Amy, love ya)

Enough scraps of paper to cover the fronts and back of all your hearts (the thinner the paper, the easier this project is)

An X-acto knife or other sharp craft knife (mine is Martha Stewart Crafts from Wal-Mart and I love it so much)

Self-healing cutting mat

Ink in coordinating colors for the edges of the hearts (come to think of it, I guess you could also use markers or paint)

Fine grit sand paper or a sanding block

A sheet of wax paper

Brayer (optional)

So here's what you do:

1. Cover the front of a heart with a THIN coat of Mod Podge. Not too thick or it will ooze out onto the paper and you'll have to cut it later.

2. Press the heart glue side down onto the wrong side of a paper scrap. Press gently and evenly until the paper is stuck smoothly to the heart. You can flip it over and roll it with a brayer if you like, but it's probably unnecessary. I only used brayer on two or three before I got tired of messing with it. Let dry. I suggest making these hearts assembly-line style, which gives each side time to dry. By the time you finish gluing the last heart, the first will be dry and ready for step 3.

3. Once dry, place on self-healing mat and use your craft knife to trace around the heart and cut away the excess paper. By the way, the wood is soft. If you get to close like I did a bunch of times, you will end up shaving off some wood. If you're okay with that, get as close as you want.

4. Repeat the paper gluing process for the other side of the heart.

5. Once all your hearts are covered in paper, gently sand the edges to remove any last bits of paper.

6. Carefully cover the edges of the hearts with coordnating ink, paint, etc. The reason I didn't do this before applying the paper (which probably would have been easier) is because of the wood shaving issue described above, requiring you to re-ink/paint/etc. You can also use distressing ink at this point if you like that look.

7. Once the ink is dry, lay your hearts out on a sheet of wax paper. Brush top and sides with a thin coat of Mod Podge. When dry, flip the hearts over and brush Mod Podge on the back.

And you're done! You could also get a teeny bit and drill a hole at the top to make a necklace. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great rest of the week!