Xyron-Simple Stories Project - Fourth of July Home Decor Tutorial

Hello all! Today I am excited to share an up cycled home decor project using the Xyron Creative Station and Simple Stories Stars & Stripes set! We have lots of construction going on around our neighborhood and there are a ton of wood scraps being discarded.  I picked up a few as I was walking the dogs one day in hopes of using them in a project.  I also used a wooden heart that was dismantled from a pair of unpainted wood bookends. I am excited to share my first up cycled project!

 Xyron Products Used: 

Xyron Creative Station, Xyron 9” Permanent Adhesive Cartridge.

Other Products Used:

Simple Stories Stars & Stripes, Scrap wood block, Gesso, Wooden Heart, Ranger Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Ranger Blending Tool/Foam, Ranger Paint Brushes, Ranger Distress Paint Pumice Stone, Ranger Heat Tool, Tim Holtz Scissors 

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Paint a base coat of white gesso onto the wood block, after wiping with a damp rag and sanding the edges. Set aside to dry.

2. Paint the wood heart also with a layer of white gesso and set aside to dry.

3. Paint the sides of the heart with Pumice stone Distress ink (or a color that compliments the paper you choose).

4. Dry with a heat tool.

5. Trace wooden heart onto Simple Stories patterned paper using a fine-line marker. 

6. Cut out traced heart shape carefully with scissors.

7. Run the heart shaped Simple Stories  patterned paper through the Xyron Creative Station loaded with 9” Permanent adhesive cartridge. Rub top and around edges of heart and peel of top protective film.

8. Carefully adhere the paper heart to the wooden heart shape.

8a. Distress the edges of the heart with vintage photo distress ink, using a blending tool.

9.  Trace the wood block onto striped patterned paper using a fine-line marker and cut out.

10. Run the shaped patterned paper through the Xyron Creative Station  loaded with 9” Permanent adhesive cartridge. Rub top and around edges of and peel of top protective film.

 

11. Carefully adhere the patterned paper to the wood block. 

 12.  Mark the area on the wood block where you will place the heart (centered) with pencil for a guide.

 13. Heat up a glue gun and apply glue to the area where the heart will sit onto the wood block.

14.  Carefully place the heart onto the hot glue area to adhere. Hold it place for a few seconds. 

A couple up close pictures of the finished project- what I really like about the project is it stands on it's on because of the sizeof the wood block I chose to use.

I just LOVE this patterned paper from Simple Stories Stars & Stripes , it coordinates so well together.

Thanks for checking out my tutorial and be sure to visit both the Xyron site as well as Simple Stories for these fantastic products to make your own Fourth of July decor!