Valentine’s Day decorations are generally not my thing. Most of the mass-produced ones out there are way too saccharine sweet and frilly for me.

So this year, I decided I’d make my own Valentine’s Day decor: something with a vintage industrial vibe that I wouldn’t mind actually hanging in my house.

I started with these little aluminum pans that I found at a thrift store. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do with them when I bought them — but I knew it wasn’t going to involve baking.

Pretty much every craft project I do lately begins with a coat of black chalk paint, so that’s where I started with this one, too.

Then I cut a few hearts out of an old newspaper to layer over the black background.

And, as luck would have it, I had the letters I needed to spell out the word “LOVE” in the stash of random letters and numbers that I have hoarded over the years.

I wasn’t thrilled with the bright colors, so the letters got a coat of black chalk paint, too.

Then I put some silver craft paint over top, slapdash style, letting the black peek through for a tarnished metal effect.

I drilled holes in the top and bottom of each pan …

… just big enough to pull a piece of twine through.

I grunged up the newspaper hearts with some watered down paint and old coffee grounds…

… and I Mod Podged the newspaper onto the bottom on the pans.
To tie the hearts all together, I threaded pieces of jute twine through the holes.

I had a few beads on hand that I added here and there. (I wish I would have had more.)

The last step was to glue the letters on over the newspaper.
