How to Make a Rustic Love Sign

Step 1

For the heart:I cut out a heart from brown paper butcher paper, but you can also use regular construction paper, copy paper, or even a paper grocery bag. This heart is just a homemade stencil, so it doesn't need to be fancy!

Step 2

For the letters:I used some Post-It letters to write out the word "LOVE" (see the image below). You can us any letters you have around or print and cut them out. Just like the heart, these are going to act as more of a stencil.

Step 3

Place your heart and letter cutouts on the barn wood to mask off the area that is not going to be painted. I chose not to tape anything down and it worked out, but if you're worried about the cutouts moving, you can use painters tape.

Step 4

Apply an even coat of paint and then sit back and watch the magic. As it drys, it crackles! Lovely chippy paint in one simple step, no sanding required.

Step 5

Give your rustic love sign a good several hours to dry or just leave to dry overnight. You do not need to paint a second layer unless you want to cover more of the barn wood. I wanted the barn wood to peek through, so I left the paint at a single, thin layer.