I have always loved Valentine’s Day. Maybe it’s because my middle name is literally Valentine (Yes, Laura Valentine Gummerman. It’s on my driver’s license, I swear!), but I think it’s also because of all the sweets and shades of pink that float around this time of year. I’m a total sucker for it. I’ve had a lot of fun doing decorations for intimate Valentine’s Day dinners in years past, and this year I thought it would be fun to make some hanging decor to hang over our pink breakfast nook table. I love to use the inexpensive faux flowers from dollar stores to make a block of texture, and I thought they would be the perfect choice for a large floating heart above the table.
Supplies:
– faux flowers (I used about 12 bunches total. Pick the big ones—they’ll fill the heart faster!)
– hot glue gun
– sheets of styrofoam
– serrated bread knife/electric turkey carver/jig saw to cut the styrofoam
– cup hooks
– clear fishing line
– command hooks
– balsa wood
– glitter paper
First you’ll want to trace your heart onto your styrofoam. If you don’t feel confident to do this freehand, you can always sketch it out on a large piece of craft paper first and then trace it onto the styrofoam. You can see that in order to fit the size of heart I wanted, I had to cut off a corner of one piece and glue it onto the bottom to fit the tail of the heart. Use your hot glue gun to attach the pieces of styrofoam together to make one solid shape.
Next, use a serrated bread knife, electric turkey carver, or a jig saw to cut out your shape from the styrofoam. If you go the bread knife route, you may want to wait to glue the pieces together until after you cut them since it’s a little rougher on the material. The jig saw cut through the styrofoam like a hot knife through butter, which is another reason I keep telling you guys you should get one!!!!
When your heart is cut out, pull or cut your flowers off of the stems and use the hot glue to attach the flowers directly onto the heart. Notice how your faux flower is assembled though—sometimes they will fall apart if you cut them off the stem in the wrong area. Since I got three colors of pink for a gradient effect, I filled the lightest flowers in on the top third first, then filled in the bottom third with the darkest, and then completed the middle section last.
You can also cover the sides with flowers if you want to, but you’ll want to buy smaller varieties in the same color so they don’t stick way over the sides and make your shape definition a little mushy.
I made an arrow and arrow tail out of balsa wood, and then cut pieces of glitter paper the same size and hot glued them all together.
To hang the heart, I glued a cup hook into the top of each of the heart “humps” and stuck 2 command hooks onto the ceiling where I wanted the heart to hang (about the same distance apart that the cup hooks are). Then I tied the heart to the hooks with fishing wire for an “invisible” look.
Once the heart was hanging, I stuck each half of the arrow in opposite ends of the heart, and my work was done!
I LOVE how this turned out! It’s such a big statement piece, and since they are faux flowers, you can leave it up as long as you like or even save it for next year. This would also be really cute as a photo booth backdrop for a Valentine’s Day party. Hope you find an occasion to make this pretty project! I totally won’t blame you if the 14th comes and goes and you just “forget” to take this one down…xo. Laura
Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
59 Comments
Aww this is so beautiful. Makes me want to make one just because.
http://throughmyowneyes.com/2016/02/05/superbowllook/
so cute!
xx
http://www.cherry-mag.com
How beautiful! This is such a nice idea x
http://jessicawoods.fr
Wow, This is so beautiful. Very creative.
Thanks for sharing,
http://www.fabulousandbeauty.com
LAAAARAHHH! I love this! I’m making this fa sho
So pretty! It looks fabulous with your pink table! I think I’ll have to do this and after February it will be perfect to hang in my little girl’s bedroom:)
Oh my!! Your DIY’s get cuter every time!! =)
This is really cute!
Question: How did you manage to not melt the styrofoam using hot glue? (Would you recommend a glue gun at a lower setting, maybe, or a specific kind of styrofoam?)
Perfect for weddings and showers too. Great DIY!
Aww this is so pretty, Valentine’s Day or not x
http://www.wonkylauren.com
I named my favorite childhood stuffed animal Valentine. 🙂 After the martyr, but also because my birthday is right near Valentine’s Day. 🙂
So adorable!!
AGNESE from http://www.theblogness.com
This is gorgeous!! I definitely want to try it!
OMG! This looks so amazing :O Going to try it after my exams. This is beaufiful!
Greets from Germany <3<3<3<3
This is so beautiful! I actually want to try this out!
http://www.meowemily.blogspot.com/2016/02/glamorous-and-romantic-valentines-makeup.html
This is beautiful! I just made a small heart wreath with similar flowers, I never thought of going bigger!
CheyanneFulton.com
This is gorgeous. It would be great just as a centerpiece even if you’re not celebrating Valentines Day.
http://adaintyfawn.blogspot.co.uk/
This is such a cute DIY, and it doesn’t seem like it would take a very long time to complete! Thank you for sharing your idea and the directions!
It looks awesome <3
I need that heart in my room, so beautiful!
http://ayellowrain.blogspot.com/
Ooh, I so want to make this for Valentine’s Day. How cute!!
I love anything pink! It look just perfect with your table!!!
Such a cute Valentine’s day idea!!
http://www.littleblackshell.com
I would want to do this flower thing to my entire wall!!
xo
http://www.kristinawilde.com
This is so adorable! You have such an eye for detail and everything you make turns out so well. I love the arrow addition too!
Monica – Mocha and Moccasins
Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays too! And I love love love this project!
I’ve been looking for a new centerpiece to go above my headboard and I think this will be perfect xx
Mimi
http://www.coffeeandsunday.com
This is so beautiful!
This is too cute! http://www.hannamarielei.com
Would love to recreate this for Valentine’s day!
http://teapotsandlemonade.com/
This is amazing!! I can’t wait to try this! 🙂
http://www.llindatt.blogspot.com
This is so pretty! I love it.
This is so easy, yet so beautiful!!! Wow. Thank you for the inspiration. I’ll definitely put this onto my list of “fun DIY projects” 🙂
love
Margot
http://www.aheartyhome.com
This is one of my favorite things you all have shared, thank you.
Super cute 🙂 What a brilliant craft idea.
You’ve changed my mind about artificial flowers, which I usually don’t like. This heart project is absolutely gorgeous!
What a beautiful (and easy) idea, and I think it fits perfectly into that window! Really like the colour gradient there, well done!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
Super cute, love it!
Abbie E.
http://abulouslife.blogspot.com
I normally don’t like faux flowers, but this is SO charming!
I normally don’t like faux flowers, but this is SO charming!
This is so adorable! Its only this year I’ve gotten into actually decorating for Valentines day and this is exactly what I’m looking for!
Perfect❤
This is so cute!
Wow! Very nice and seams to be easy done ?
Beautiful!
Blonde in Cashmere
Adorable!
Not just for valentines!
http://www.homemadebyhail.blogspot.com
This is such a cute post! So easy and colorful!!!
https://snapguide.com/guides/make-a-heart-magnet-commemorating-a-special-place/
I feel like this could be a fabulous DIY for a Valentine’s themed party, dance or even used as wedding decor! Of course, my wedding was last July and I have no plans on hosting a Valentine’s party, but I might try to recreate this anyway ;).
Marley
http://www.MarleyJustine.com
This is lovely! I feel so inspired right now!
This is totes adorbs!
This is so beautiful! I’m obsessed!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
So adorable and easy! I want to make this asap!
This is so stupid cute I am literally dying. Literally. Call 911.
This is a beautiful way to decorate for an at-home Valentine’s Day celebration! Love it!
XO – Sarah
http://beautyandblooms.com/
This is sooo cute!! *heart eyes*
xx Caroline
https://carolinespassion.wordpress.com
Well, in this case it’s totally fine to melt the styrofoam a bit! As long as the glue and styrofoam cool and bond together, then it doesn’t really matter if it melted the styrofoam a bit since it’s covered up 🙂
Laura
Wow, so cool–what a great idea! I love Valentine’s Day, too. 🙂
I’m in love this your beautiful heart! Such sweet, pink gorgeousness!
This is the cutest! I can’t honestly see myself doing it for my own home for Valentine’s Day (although my anniversary is also on the 13th, so it’s kind of a special time). But perhaps for a special party or my sister’s wedding coming up this summer. Done with different colours it could be really sweet, too.
Amazing ! A wonderful DIY for valentines day