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A Valentine’s Day Wreath from Tree Branches

Valentines Day Wreath

When I saw this mirror frame Jaime from That’s My Letter made, I was instantly head over heels in love with the branch circles.

Valentines Day Wreath

Valentine’s Day Wreath

So much so, that every branch I passed by I would think, “Hmmm, I wonder what the disks on that branch would look like. It’s a sickness y’all.

So, this past weekend, I hauled in a bunch of branches and began to formulate a design for my Valentine’s Day Wreath that wasn’t overtly cutesy.

Valentines Day Wreath

I even called my neighbor to ask if I could have one of their logs from their woodpile. (Yes, I was coveting thy neighbor’s wood. Sheesh.)

I am thrilled with the final results. Although I had to engage in a few extra spray painting steps to get here, I’ll spare you the details. Let’s just say that no matter what color you paint thin wire, it just doesn’t show up on top of wood disks.

Valentines Day Wreath

Here is the tutorial y’all. Take it or leave it, but just be sure you ask before cutting down your neighbor’s cherry tree.

Valentine’s Day Wreath Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Start by setting up a stop block by clamping a small piece of wood against the fence of your miter saw. (Or be prepared to be diligent about measuring every slice you cut. My slices are 1.5″ wide.) IMPORTANT: Wear your eye protection and hearing protection!

Valentines Day Wreath

Hold your branch against the fence and cut into the log. The larger logs cut fine, but the smaller branches and sticks tended to kick back all over the place, so be sure you stay on the right side of the saw and the slices are on the left. This way you’ll be out of the path of the flying disks. Cut, until you have a large collection of wood slices in a variety of sizes.

Valentines Day Wreath

It was at this point that I looked down and noticed this little worm squeezing out of the log!

Valentines Day Wreath

Ewwww. I rushed inside to research killing bugs in wood. I read you can either bake your wood in the oven at 175˚F – 200˚F for a few hours. Or microwave the wood for a minute. Being the perfectionist and neurotic termite-fearing person I am, I did both!

Valentines Day Wreath

After roastin’ and nukin’ those little buggers, you can lay out the slices onto the plywood in a heart shape.

Valentines Day Wreath

Trace roughly around the shape.

Valentines Day Wreath

As I said I’m a perfectionist, so feel free to skip this next step.

Fold a piece of scrap paper in half and cut out a half heart shape to give you a symmetrical heart shape. Trace around the template onto the plywood.

Valentines Day Wreath

Use a jigsaw or Dremel TRIO to cut out around the shape.

Sand the edges until they are no longer jagged.

Lay the scrap paper template back on top of the heart shaped plywood. Fold it in half. Drill a hole through the top of one of the sides of the heart (through paper and wood.) Open the template back up and mark where the hole is in the paper. Drill through the other side.

Valentines Day Wreath

Thread a length of ribbon through one hole. Tie a washer onto the end of the ribbon on the back side.

Valentines Day Wreath

Hang the heart up in your desired location. Adjust the length of the ribbon and then tie another washer onto the ribbon.

Valentines Day Wreath

Begin to lay the wood slices back onto the plywood and start gluing each one using Liquid Nails.

Valentines Day Wreath

It may take a little maneuvering and trials to get the slices to fit neatly within the heart shape. But, hey it wouldn’t be fun without a little trial and error.

Valentines Day Wreath

After your shape is filled, lay a folded towel, some scrap wood and heavy weights on top. Do a few bicep curls before setting them down, just because.

Valentines Day Wreath

While your wooden heart is drying, bend the word “Love” into the wire using needle-nosed pliers.

Valentines Day Wreath

Wrap white pipe cleaners around the word.

Valentines Day Wreath

Then wrap red pipe cleaners around leaving space so the white pipe cleaner shows through.

Valentines Day Wreath

Tie a bow at the top of the hanger ribbon. Thread another length of ribbon through the bow and secure it to the “L” and “e” in Love.

Valentines Day Wreath

Find a spot to hang your unique wreath.

Valentines Day Wreath

I wonder if I can put another word on there for St. Patrick’s Day? Maybe “Luck” with some green ribbon.

 Valentines Day Wreath

Valentines Day Wreath

Valentines Day Wreath

72 replies
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  1. Tracy
    Tracy says:

    Awesome work! What type of mider saw blade did you use to cut this thin branches? I had someone recently change my blade and now I have been having kick back and actually got cut from s flying piece of wood. I never had this trouble before so I am thinking it is the type of blade.

    Reply
  2. Marina
    Marina says:

    Brittany,
    Sorry, coming late to the party but I want to try this project with my class and I want to put the slices on an existing frame. Do think liquid nails would still be the best way to attach them?

    Reply
  3. Aslanslucy
    Aslanslucy says:

    Great idea roasting/nuking the log slices! Last year we stacked logs into a spot in our new home made for them and a month later found sawdust piles near the logs! We hadn’t thought about termites until then!

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] A Valentine’s Day Wreath from Tree Branches […]

  2. […] This clever blogger sliced up fallen branches to create this piece of door decor, but you can mimic the look with wine corks. Get the tutorial at Pretty Handy Girl. […]

  3. […] A Valentine’s Day Wreath From Tree Branches via A Pretty Handy Girl […]

  4. […] officially kicking Valentine’s Day decorating into high gear! Yesterday I shared with you my wooden branch heart wreath. Thank you for all your nice comments about it. I wasn’t sure anyone would like it because it […]

  5. […] Step 1: Using a handsaw or circular saw slice off 3/4″ thick disc of wood from the birch log. (If you’re concerned about bugs, you can bake them as shown here.) […]

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