How To Create Spackle Art Hearts (DIY Wall Decor)

Why Textured Heart Art Works Well On Old Wood

• Adds dimension and interest to a boring wall
• Looks well with farmhouse, cottage, modern rustic, and neutral decor
• Can be customized to size, color, and texture
• Great way to use leftover lumber or imperfect barn wood

SUPPLY LIST:

Here is what you’ll need to create these spackle art hearts for your farmhouse wall.

• scrap wood, lumber, barn wood squares
• wood sander
• medium-grit sandpaper
• wood stain or paint for wood
• Dixie Mud White or spackling compound
• art palette knife
• Gator Hide (topcoat)
• synthetic paint brush
• French Villa SILK All-In-One Mineral Paint
• artist brushes
• Gold Marker

If you want, you can stain the wood first for a warm, rustic look. You could also paint them, or leave the wood raw. When creating spackle art on raw wood, you’ll need to seal it first. It helps the spackle adhere to the board.

I chose to leave the wood raw and seal it with Dixie Belle’s Gator Hide first. Just using the top coat was enough to bring out the warm wood tones in these old barn planks while adding a layer of protection.

STEP 2: Plan Your Heart Design

Brainstorm a design that will look good on your boards. I’m a fan of doing them in groups of three.

• One large centered
• Several small hearts in a grid or a random pattern
• Outlined hearts with open space inside

You can lightly sketch the outline with a pencil on the boards. Don’t worry about making them perfect; organic shapes look the best with this style.

STEP 3: Apply The Spackle

Pro Tip: Practice on cardboard before applying spackle to your wood. It helps.

For the large heart, use a putty or palette knife to scoop a small amount of the white Dixie Mud (spackle) and spread it inside your heart shape. Then, build the texture with curved strokes, swirls, or gentle peaks.

Don’t stress, you’ll be tempted to overdo it. The less you smooth, the more character the spackle will show. Let those edges be a little raised for that artist vibe.

The smallest hearts were created with two basic strokes. I call it the push-pull technique.

Use the tip of your palette knife; push down gently (enough to create raised edges) to start the top half of a heart. Next, you’ll drag the knife, smearing the spackle downward. Once you’ve reached the bottom of the heart, slightly angle the tip to the side to create the tip. No worries if you don’t get it right. You can still use the edge of the knife to make the point.

Love these, for sure!

STEP 4: Let It Dry

Allow the spackle to dry at least overnight, if not longer. You may see a few hairline cracks in the spackle after dried but that’s normal. These will be filled in with paint.

Do not touch during drying. We creatives have a hard time with hands-off. 🤲🏼

Once it’s dried, lightly sand over the hearts to smooth out the peaks and sharp points. This is very easy. Once you have the look you want, use a vacuum or a soft-bristle brush to remove the powdery dust. Don’t forget to wear a mask when sanding, too.

STEP 5: Sealing The Spackle Art Hearts Design

While I love the white-on-dark-wood look, I really want a softer vibe and not so in-your-face.

Therefore, I chose to paint the spackle art hearts with a beautiful, almost linen-like color called French Villa. It’s from the Dixie Belle’s SILK All-In-One Mineral Paint line. It has a built-in primer, stain blocker, and topcoat. This will seal the texture and give it a hard, durable finish.

Using a chisel-tipped artist brush, I carefully painted inside and around the edges of the hearts. This did take a little time, but it’s so worth it. Apply one to two coats for full coverage.

Allow the paint to dry.

Next, using the same sealer (Gator Hide) that was used to seal the wood, apply a light coat over the spackle heart design and the wood with a good-quality synthetic paintbrush. Be gentle when painting over the spackle art hearts. Allow to dry.

STEP 6: Add Gold Highlights (Optional)

Because gold makes everything better, well, in my book at least. To highlight the raised peaks, I painted them with this Gold Marker.

I have to tell you, I’m obsessed with this pen! I have used it on several other recent projects.

This oil-based gold pen (chisel tip) delivers the most brilliance without a topcoat, so add it last. The gold will adhere to a water-based top coat once it’s dry.

I’m loving the white French Villa color and the gold, and I think any of these looks would be perfect for a neutral farmhouse!

Need more inspirational projects. I’ve listed a few of my faves down below. Enjoy!

• DIY Spackle Art Christmas Tree (Textured Wall Decor)
• Viral Spackle Art Ghost (Michael’s DIY Ghost Painting)
• Cabinet Door Wall Art -10 Up-Cycled Inspirations
• Hand Painted Doodle Art – Color Washing

Spackled Art Hearts | Wood Wall Art

Style number one is all white, a neutral farmhouse style that is charming in every way.

How about a little romantic farmhouse in the bedroom? Yes, please! This spackle art heart wall decor will never go out of style.

It’s cozy but clean, calm enough for everyday and special enough for all seasonal styling.

Style number two is a little different, with a play on the golden vertical heart accents. I love them both.

I know my family and friends will sleep and feel loved when they come to visit. A bedroom for a king or queen!

Thanks for hanging out today! Hope you had fun with this spackle art hearts tutorial, and give it a shot in your own place.

Textured heart art on wood shows ya that simple stuff can make seriously cool decor, even with those barn scraps. Imperfect and full of character… that’s my jam!

Don’t forget to share and pin this DIY decor project to your favorite Pinterest board for later! Also, let me know what you think in the comments below. I always love hearing from you.

Until the next project… xo, Do