valentine's heart wreath & chalkboard art {tutorial}

Helloooooo! And happy February! Yes, it's been about 6 weeks since my last post, but I have been running a sick ward in my home since before Christmas. From the pukes to the sniffles to double ear infections, someone has been sick (including moi) for weeks on end. On top of that, I lost my camera SD card with SEVERAL project photos on it, so I kind of took a forced hiatus. I think we're on the tail end of the yuckies (with the exception of a lingering cough), so I finally got a chance to start my Valentine's decorating. Beginning with a new Valentine's wreath (sadly, the burlap beauty didn't make the trek from Iowa). I couldn't help but include a little something from the chalkboard craze that is happening right now. Here's a quick tutorial and some fun chalkboard art tips and tricks that you can use for more than just Valentine's!

Valentine Heart Wreath with Chalkboard Message Board {Tutorial}

First for the chalkboard, which is easy as pie. Even the creating the beautiful text is easier than you'll believe. I've done a few chalkboard projects over the years (like the travel chalkboard, chalkboard speech bubbles, and the faux chalkboard labels, to name a few), but this one is my new favorite.

Chalkboard Sign Supplies:

*Wooden board or sign

*Chalkboard paint (I like Martha Stewart's)

*Foam brush

*Chalk

I started with a hanging sign that I found at Hobby Lobby on clearance, but didn't really like. First I sanded it lightly, then I applied two coats of chalkboard paint (wait an hour between coats, then cure 24 hours). 

 Next I covered it with a layer of chalk to prime it.

To get a clean, professional looking text, I cheated by printing my main word out on printer paper. Then I covered the back of the paper (behind the word) with chalk.

Tape your paper in place to ensure it doesn't move while you're working.

Using a pencil, trace the letters on the front of the paper, transferring the chalk on the back to your chalkboard.

  

Next, remove the paper. The word has been transferred, but it is not as dark or clear as I'd like. So I traced over the text with my stick of chalk.

Another trick for professional looking results: sharpen your chalk to a point. I used the side of a pair of scissors to shave the end of the chalk to a point.

Erase any mistakes with a Q-Tip. I also rubbed some chalk dust around to make my blackboard look more authentic. Then I added some other elements free-hand to pretty it up.

Here is my finished chalkboard--I was going to use it as a wall hanging. . .

. . .until I got working on my wreath.  When it was done it just needed a little something.

Heart Valentine's Wreath Supplies:
*Heart grapevine wreath
*Silk flowers, I used pink hydrangeas and peonies
*Burlap ribbon
*Craft or floral wire and wire cutters

Originally I wanted to cover this wreath with hydrangeas, but I couldn't justify the cost for that many hydrangea picks, even at wholesale. So I chose five flowers and bunched a few at the bottom and a couple more on the opposite side.

Remove the stems and wire the flowers onto the grapevine wreath. 

I made a big 10-loop bow with my burlap ribbon (it is wired ribbon, which makes shaping it much easier) and wired it to the top of the wreath. 

I added my chalkboard sign with wire as well. If you need something to attach the wire to, try hammering picture hanging hardware to the back. 

And that's it! I hung my wreath with a 3M Command Strip hanger, which is totally removable and won't hurt my door.