In a previous article, I introduced to you how to make new wood look worn. I also showed a couple example projects giving you an idea on what different wire wheels do to the texture. In this article, we will be taking one of those projects and you can make it come to life yourself! If you haven’t read the previous article, I recommend you go back and check it out here.
Rustic Wooden Hearts…I don’t think you could really go wrong with hearts as a wall decor, can you? I agree, everyone’s tastes are different, but in most cases hearts are a good choice.
For such a simple shape, hearts are also one of those shapes that are surprisingly difficult to make look good. Either one side is too large or the shape just looks odd. Not all of us are good at drawing hearts and I am one of those people. I suck at it! Luckily, I have some computer software that allows me to draw one side how I want and then mirror it for the other, making it perfectly symmetrical. Easy peasy!
I am going to make it easy for you as well. Included in this article is a free downloadable template of a heart. It is made to be printed on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) paper. Of course, you can scale it down in your print settings if you wish. If you don’t want to make these hearts, you could always head over to our Etsy shop and get them pre-made for you, by yours truly.
Tools and Supplies:
There are a few recommended tools for this project. Some of them you may be able to substitute for something else, but this is what I use and familiar with.
- Hand drill, preferably one with a clutch (This article talks about what a clutch is)
- Wire wheels (Paid Link)
- Wire brush
- Pencil
- Scissors if you are cutting out the template
- Printable template (Link) if you don’t want to free hand it.
- Saw, such as a band saw, scroll saw, jig saw, or coping saw (Something that can handle curves)
- Bar Clamp and/or vise
- 9/64″ Drill bit
- Twine (approximately 1/8″ thick and 13″ long)
- Masking tape
- Wood finish of your choice
- 3/4″ thick x 5.5″ wide pine board
- Thin plywood to use as a template if you are making multiple hearts
- Read this article: How to make new wood look worn
The Creation:
This is a pretty simple process if you have a few of the tools listed above and follow the instructions in this article, so let’s dive straight into it!
Want to learn more about this technique? Head over to the article “How to make new wood look worn” for some tips, safety warnings and different textures.
When you are done with the wire wheel, use the wire brush to clean it up as described in the article above.
There you have it! A nice simple project you can get done in a couple hours. Play around with different colors and finishes or even the shape of the heart. I want to make more of these hearts in lighter colors, like maybe white or light blue. The colors have endless possibilities to make them look nice. Have fun!
Alternative to using the downloadable template
If you don’t like this particular style of heart and would rather make your own but don’t have software to help make it symmetrical, no worries! You can still make your own and make it perfectly symmetrical with just a piece of paper, pen or pencil, and a pair of scissors. That’s it! It’s kind of like making paper snowflakes.
Here is how you do it:
- Fold a piece of paper in half
- Draw one half of the heart on one side with the middle of the heart on the seam
- Cut out the heart without unfolding the paper
- Once it is cut out, unfold it and now you have a perfectly symmetrical heart.
That is a simple and low cost alternative to making any kind of shape symmetrical.
If you make these hearts yourself, let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear how it went. Send us an email at rickshobbygarage@gmail.com with a pic of your creation, whether it’s a modified version of this or just like it, and we can add it to this article showing other readers different ideas from people like you. The more we have to share with others, the better!
Rick Simper has various hobbies, including woodworking, metalworking, composting, and gardening. He is an Architect full time and uses these hobbies to get away from the busy week of Architecture.