This Valentine’s Day banner started as decor for my daughter’s room, but quickly showed how handy and versatile projects can be.

This DIY banner is easy to make, kid-friendly (with some adult help), and looks just as good on a mantel, a shelf, or a bedroom wall.

It is perfect for anyone who loves decorating with handmade pieces that can move from space to space.

I used scrap wood and simple supplies, and every time I see it, I am reminded how fun it is to create something meaningful with what you already have.

Supply List

Each of my wooden blocks are about 5 ½” x 5 ½”, so if you are working with different sizes, you might need to adjust the printable size for your stenciling.

Grab the Free Printable Template

Prep Wood

If you want all your wood blocks to be the same size, you may need to trim them with a saw, or you can accept their differences, as I did. They were close enough. 😂

Go over the wood pieces with some sandpaper to remove any rough edges.

Next, paint them the base color you want. I wanted mine to have a vintage look, so I used a stencil brush to dry-brush white paint over the pink.

To drybrush something, lightly dip your brush in the paint and blot most of it off.

Then gently swipe your brush back and forth across the block until the colors blend to achieve your desired look.

Decorate Blocks

Cut the printable into four squares, with one letter per square.

The O of love is a heart, and on this block, I will create some string art, but you could do this block the same way as the others if you wanted.

Center the heart on top of the wood block and hammer the nails, tracing the heart shape.

Cut the letters from the printable to create a letter stencil, and then paint.

Since the paper stencil isn’t a real stencil, my letters weren’t painted perfectly. A little bit of paint snuck under the stencil.

But I plan to distress the blocks by sanding, so I wasn’t too concerned about them being perfect.

Once the painted letters are dry, lightly sand the blocks to distress them.

Heart String Art

Remove the paper heart template from the block. It will tear, and that is okay. It is no longer needed.

Wrap the string around each nail in random order, then tie it off when finished.

Assemble Banner

This step is entirely optional. If using these as a shelf sitter, they should stand alone.

To hang the banner, use a staple gun to attach the rope to the back of the wooden blocks.

My Valentine’s Day mantel now looks complete!

More DIY Valentine’s Decor

Valentine’s is such a fun holiday to decorate for! Here are a few more fun ideas.

Hi, I’m Katie!

I’m so glad you’re here. Want to make something fabulous? I’m here to help!