DIY Ombre Heart Art (Fun + Easy Tutorial)

Decorate your home for Valentine's Day with this adorable DIY Ombre Heart Art!

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My apartment always feel so empty at this time of year.

All the Christmas decorations have come down, and everything looks bare. Know what I mean?

So I've decided it's time to start decorating for Valentine's Day! A little pink here and there is sure to cheer things up.

DIY Ombre Heart Art

I stopped by Michaels for a little Valentine's Day inspiration, and there definitely wasn't any shortage of all things pink, red, and sparkly.

The one thing that immediately caught my eye was a giant paper mache heart.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it right away, but I knew that I could do something fun. As I wandered around the store a bit, I found some wood craft letters and decided to pair them with the heart and make this DIY Ombre Heart

Isn't it cute?

The best part is that this DIY Ombre Heart Art only look a few minutes to make. It's was so easy ... if you can wield a paint brush and use a hot glue gun, you can make one, too!

The ombre painting technique is actually way simpler than you'd think, so don't feel intimidated.

And I've broken it down into easy steps so you can master the process.

I decorated my DIY Ombre Heart Art with my husband and I's initials, but feel free to get creative with the message!

I was originally going to do XOXO, but I couldn't find enough x's.

You could also do something fun like KISS (or KISSES), BFF, LOVE, a name, or whatever you'd like. Make sure to use smaller letters if your message is longer than mine.

Ombre Heart Supplies

Want to decorate your own paper mache heart? Here's what you'll need:

paper mache heart **
Wood letters ***
gold craft paint
medium pink craft paint (I used Shell.)
light pink craft paint (I used Sherbert.)
white craft paint
foam paint brushes
paint palette
hot glue gun

** I purchased my heart at Micheals, and it was about 12-inches across. Unfortunately, I can't find the exact one anymore, but you can find these paper mache hearts in various sizes on Amazon. You could even decorate a heart-shaped box this way!)

*** Michaels is a good source for these. Mine were about 3.5-inches tall, but different sizes work, too. If you have a longer message or smaller heart, use smaller letters.

How to Make a DIY Ombre Heart

Start by painting the letters with the gold craft paint using a foam brush. Then set them aside to dry.

Don't forget the edges.

You'll be painting the heart three colors, from dark to light, starting at the bottom. It helps to visualize dividing the heart into thirds before beginning.

Paint the bottom third of the heart with the medium pink paint.

You'll probably need a few coats to get good coverage.

Using a different foam brush, paint the middle section with the light pink. Again, use as many coats as you need to get full coverage.

After you've painted the middle of the heart light pink, use a mostly dry foam brush start blending the light pink with the medium pink. Slowly work back and forth, adding less paint as you move down into the medium pink section.

You can also go back in with the medium pink paint, as needed. This will create your ombre effect.

I like to use a paint palette when working with different paint colors. That way you have access to all the colors at once, and the paint won't dry out as quickly.