Decoupaged Hug and Kiss {XO} Wreath for Valentine’s Day

I don’t usually decorate very much for Valentine’s Day, but I decided to make a wreath for my front door this year.  I snagged some hot pink candles for my chandelier, and found the cutest pink striped and polka dot pillows at Southeastern Salvage for $5 apiece, so it seemed destined to be!

The wreath was so easy:  I started with a grapevine wreath that I already had, and then I bought a cardboard “X” and “O” from Hobby Lobby.  They were on sale, so probably about $1.50 apiece.  I then selected two colors of scrapbook paper (also on sale) in complementary patterns.

First, I put the letters face down on the wrong side of the paper, and traced around them. I then cut the paper out to fit.

The X was a little too big for the 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper, but the pattern was such a busy one I knew that no one would notice if it wasn’t a continuous pattern, so I could use a small patch piece.

After cutting out the paper, I painted the backs and the sides of the letters.  I used Anita’s Acrylic in Hot Pink. (The tops are covered with the paper, so didn’t need to be painted)

After the paint dried, I used ModPodge decoupage paste to adhere the scrapbook paper to the front of the letters.  I brushed the paste on the top of the letter, and on both sides of the scrapbook paper.  This gets the paper wet enough that it adheres well.

This is the part where you have to get your hands messy, as you smooth out any wrinkles and make sure that the paper is neatly folded around the edges and sides.  As I suspected, you really can’t tell that the pattern is interrupted on the X at all.

After my letters dried, I used a hot glue gun to glue a florist’s wire to the back of both letters, and then wired them onto my wreath.  You could certainly adhere them in other ways, but I thought this would make it easier to take them off and replace them with something else later.

I did try some pink flowers, then some pink tulle and mesh, but I didn’t like any of those things as much as I liked the plain X & O on the wreath, so I left it just like it is.  All in all, it was a fun, fast, and inexpensive way to decorate for V-Day.

One other thing that would be SO cute:  use “X O X O” or “BE MINE” to make a banner to string over the front door or the fireplace mantel, similar to what I did for Christmas (these are the same Hobby Lobby letters as the wreath project, by the way).

Thanks for stopping by!