Faux Pallet-Wood project | DIY Wedding decor – a pallet wood heart.

I’m so excited to be back! It’s been so long. I started a new business and it’s taken me by storm. It’s busy and very exciting, but I’m very happy to be able to share a fun project I did for my sister with you today. So a few months ago, my little sister got married and I helped out by creating some of her rustic wedding decor.  She wanted to go with denim and lace, and with succulents and barn wood, and had a Pinterest board dedicated to inspiration.

Today I’m sharing how to make this Faux Pallet Wood Heart. The ceremony and reception was to take place at my parents’ home, underneath a pretty, wisteria draped pergola.  One of the things we decided to do was create a backdrop for the alter using pallet wood.  Well, since pallet wood can be heavy, we decided to create a faux-pallet wood heart using foam boards.

The sweet folks at Flora Craft were kind enough to provide me with some of the materials needed to complete this project. I love how it turned out! Here’s how to make it.

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You will need:

• 3 sheets of Styrofoam (1″ x 12″ x 36″)
• an electric Styro-Cutter
• Styro-Glue
• Smooth Finish
• a putty knife
• sand-paper
• dark brown paint
• a bristle paint brush
• paper towels

On a large work space, line up Styrofoam sheets and sketch a heart shape. I used a pencil then followed over with a marker once I thought the shape looked ok. You could get all technical about it, but free-hand seems fine for a rustic piece.

Once you have your heart shape sketched out, take the electric Styro-Cutter and then one foam board at a time, carefully cut out the heart shape.  (Tip: reserve the scraps in order to help create extra support for the finished piece.)

One of the best, most thorough tutorials on working with these Foam boards is from Crafts by Courtney. Her coastal pallet art is pretty awesome and she has fab slide show tutorials that can provide you with lots of detail, particularly when it comes to gluing your project.  Please be sure to check her out for details, whereas I’m a general guideline kind of girl.  Anyhow – for general guidelines:

Once the heart is cut out, line up your 3 boards on a flat surface in order to create the heart shape.  Here’s where you are going to begin creating the faux pallet look of your project.  Using the edges of the 3 boards as a guideline, measure out 3 or 4 inches on each side. (Note: You can just eyeball this part.  It does not have to be perfect, just get a general idea so that your “planks” look evenly spaced.)

Take a straight edge ruler and draw lines for your pallet “planks” then lightly score with the electric Styro-cutter.

Using your putty knife, lightly spread a thin layer of the Smooth Finish across the foam boards.  It should not be perfect coverage… you want it a little pitted and bumpy.  Lightly sand with some sandpaper or a sanding block, making sure to keep the scored areas for the pallet “planks” clear of debris.

Take an old paintbrush and fill in the faux seams between the “planks” and then quickly wipe off with a paper towel.

Continue until each of the faux seams have been filled in/wiped off. Working quickly, brush on brown paint in a small area, then rub it in/wipe it off with a paper towel. Continue until the entire surface of the is covered and you’re happy with the effect. When dry, at this point you have the option to apply chalk paint to further distress the piece, or leave it as is. (I left it as is.)

When the foam boards are completely dry, it’s time to grab your Styro-Glue and glue the pieces together. Again, I refer you to the great tutorial on Crafts By Courtney for this step. It’s one of the best.

We added a little burlap pennant using strips of old jeans and mini clothespins and it was an adorable backdrop as my sis and my new brother in law said “I Do!”

The guests all sat on quilt covered hay bales instead of chairs and it was a lovely ceremony and the rustic touches were really fun.  We all wore cowboy boots and it was kind of casual. Super fun!

This easy faux pallet art could work for any rustic wedding or any holiday.  For more ideas about what you can make with Flora Craft foam, check out their blog for project inspiration and info about new products.