Today I’m sharing DIY Valentine decor made from a thrift store find and a child’s watercolor paint set. It’s a simple watercolor heart artwork that will add a pop of color to your Valentine’s Day home decor.
Don’t you just love trash to treasure projects?
I know I do!
It’s so much fun to take a $3.00 thrift store find and change it into a piece of home decor that makes you proud. And that is exactly what I’m sharing with you today.
I took an outdated wooden plaque, stripped it down, and added a sweet watercolor heart. It makes a great DIY Valentine Gift.
I’m also joining forces with some of my favorite bloggers for a Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge. We are sharing tons of thrifty upcycle ideas to get your creative wheels spinning.
Here’s the rules we have to follow for the Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge:
- Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
- There’s no monthly theme.
- There’s no budget to stick to.
Meet the Hosts
Amanda | The Kolb Corner Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles Kim | Made in a Day
Dru | Polka Dot Poplars Erlene | My Pinterventures
Colleen | Life on Kaydeross Creek Pili | Sweet Things
Shirley | Intelligent Domestications Ann | Duct Tape and Denim
Debra | Shoppe No. 5 Marie | DIY Adulation
Chelsea | The Johnsons Plus Dog Jes | My DIY Envy Lindsay | Crazy Organized
Molly | Just a Little Creativity Ashley | 3 Little Greenwoods
Kimm | Reinvented Michelle | Our Crafty Mom
Ali | Home Crafts by Ali Sue | A Purdy Little House Sara | Twelve on Main
Claire | Pillar Box Blue Chelc | Inside the Fox Den
Kim | Farmhouse Made Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled
Sherry | Savvy Apron Jennifer and Vicki | 2 Bees in a Pod
Lora | Craftivity Designs Megan | C’mon Get Crafty
Denise | My Thrifty House Toni | Small Home Soul Deborah | Salvage Sister and Mister
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
Now let me tell you about my thrift store find.
The DIY Valentine decor started as a wooden plaque all about mothers. It was covered in pink flowers and a sweet Mother’s Day poem.
Now I love my mama just like everyone else but this just wasn’t my style.
However, it fit perfectly in between the shelves on the corner of our kitchen cabinets. I knew I could do something with it!
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DIY Valentine Decor ~ Watercolor Heart Artwork
small wooden plaque (buy one here)
Goo Gone Adhesive Remover Spray (buy it here)
watercolor paper (buy it here)
child’s watercolor set (buy it here)
spray adhesive (buy it here)
How to Make Watercolor Heart Artwork
Step One: Strip It Down
I have to admit it took quite a bit of time and muscle to get that Mother’s Day poem off the wooden plaque.
Goo Gone Adhesive Remover Spray got the process started but simply wetting the paper and scraping it made the most difference.
Step Two: Find Inspiration
One of my favorite Christmas presents were these Ceramic Decorated Measuring Bowls from The Pioneer Woman. Their colorful cuteness and small size make them perfect for our kitchen cabinet corner shelf.
I grabbed our daughter’s new watercolor set and started playing with the colors.
Step Three: Sketch the Design and Start Painting
The design for the DIY Valentine decor was a simple heart with the word you written beside it.
The first color palette was made with primary watercolors colors on watercolor paper.
Colors are my thing but this a tad too bright. It didn’t quite match the more muted colors of the measuring cups.
The second try was just right!
Step Four: Attach the Watercolor Heart Painting to the Plaque
Use spray adhesive to attach the artwork to the wooden plaque.
I love this little piece of DIY Valentine decor hanging above my favorite measuring cups! It fits perfectly between the small kitchen shelves and adds just the right amount of color.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my little thrifty upcycle project. If you love it, please pin it to your favorite Pinterest board!
And now for more thrifty goodness!
Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!
Visit Ashley @ 3 Little Greenwoods’s profile on Pinterest.
I link up with these fun parties!
Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and/or is a sponsored post. I may receive compensation in the form of monetary compensation or product compensation in exchange for my review. I take pride in reviewing only products that fit my brand and will be beneficial to my readers. And while this post is sponsored or contains affiliate links, all the opinions are my own. Why do I do this? It will help me keep this DIY’ing Mama crafting for another day! For more on my disclosure policy click here.
Very cute and it goes perfectly with those Pioneer Woman measuring cups (jealous btw). I really need to pick up watercolor. I loved it as a kid, and I see all of these amazing projects with it.
Love the colourfulness of your heart!
I see those old plaques at thrift stores often. You really gave that one new life. Your watercolor choices are really pretty.
Great upcycle! Visiting from Thrift Store Challenge.
Oh you know I love a good plaque makeover. 🙂 This is gorgeous!
I love watercolor! That would be so fun to make.
Love this beautifu watercolor art! So pretty!
What a fun idea! I love the look of the watercolors!
Ha you cracked me up about how you love your mama. Too funny. Very pretty watercolor. That’s one think I have not attempted yet. You make it look so easy. Great project.
Kim
This is so pretty. It matches the measuring cups perfectly.
Love the colors, love the inspiration piece and I’m jealous of your pretty handwriting 🙂 haha. Seriously, your “you” looks so lovely!
Thanks for the comment about my handwriting. You are too sweet! I think it’s because I’ve been a kindergarten teach for like ~ forever! 🙂
This is so pretty! And I love how it coordinates with the bowls. Great job.
Thanks, Sue! Those bowls are my favorites!
Love this repurpose and your watercolor is so bright and cheery. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks for the sweet comment, Denise!
Very cute upcycle!! I love watercolors.
I love watercolors too! It’s amazing what you can make with a child’s watercolor set, isn’t it?
I really like it is so colorful and bright! I hope you share it too on your link up part.Enjoy the rest of the week
I haven’t water colored since my daughter was young but this inspires me to try it again, and very soon, I love this!!
Watercolors are so much fun! They don’t even have to be the expensive sets to make something beautiful.
This is so so adorable!!
Thank you, Kim!
Such pretty watercolor art, this is so sweet!
Thanks, Megan! I loved making it and the little watercolor looks so cute on our kitchen shelf.
This is darling! Love the colors and sentiment. It’s so pretty I’d keep it up year round. Especially the yellow one it reminds me of daffodils! Pinned:)
Thanks so much, Wendy! My little watercolor heart makes me so happy!