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DIY Rustic Valentine’s Sign & Arrow Made With Contractor Shims

I’ve got two more projects for you featured in the Contractor Shims Series on YouTube – A DIY Rustic Valentine’s Sign that works beautifully for Valentine’s Day and can be adapted for any season or theme, and a Valentine’s Arrow that’s sweet, simple, and perfect for seasonal decorating!

If you’ve been following along with this shim series, you already know how much I love turning simple contractor shims into charming, rustic decor. They’re inexpensive, easy to work with, and incredibly versatile — which makes them perfect for creative projects like these.

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Tools and Supplies

Here is a list of supplies you might use for any of the projects. There will be additional specific supplies listed under each project.

Project #1: Rustic Shim Arrow

Valentine Rustic Arrow Shim project

This arrow comes together quickly and has so many styling possibilities. You can keep it Valentine-themed, make it neutral, or customize it for different seasons just by changing the stamped word.

Supplies For This Project

  • Two 14-inch wood shims
  • Hot glue gun + glue sticks
  • Miter shears (or a small saw)
  • Vintage White acrylic paint
  • Sanding block or sander
  • Alphabet stamps + heart stamp
  • Brown distress ink (Walnut Stain)
  • Small blending or feathering brush
Valentine Arrow Shim project supplies

Step One: Cutting The Pieces

From one shim, cut Two 3-inch pieces (for the arrowhead) and Two 2½-inch pieces, then split these down the center (for the fletching). The second shim stays whole and becomes the main shaft of the arrow.

Rustic tip:
The more imperfect this arrow is, the better it looks. This style is very forgiving, so don’t stress about perfect angles or exact symmetry.

Step Two: Assembling The Arrow

  • Glue the two 3-inch pieces to the front to form the arrowhead
  • Attach the split 2½-inch pieces at the back for the fletching
  • Trim any pieces that extend too far so everything feels balanced

And Painting + Distressing

  • Dry brush the entire arrow with Vintage White
  • Lightly sand the edges to knock down splinters and add character

Step Three: Adding the Valentine Detail

Using alphabet stamps and a heart stamp:

  • Stamp a word (like LOVE) along the shaft
  • Add hearts at each end
  • Lightly brush brown distress ink around the edges for a soft, aged look

This arrow would look adorable on a wreath, leaning on a shelf, grouped with other Valentine decor or used as part of a larger sign. Additionally, the stamped word can be changed for any season.

Project #2: Shim XOXO Sign

A Valentine project you can easily adapt year-round

Shim XOXO Sign

This project is all about creating a rustic sign base using shims — and once you learn this method, you can reuse it for just about any decorating idea.

Supplies For This Project

  • Four 14-inch shims
    • Three stay whole
    • One is cut into three 3-inch brace pieces
  • Hot glue gun
  • Vintage White paint
  • Corrugated cardboard (repurposed packaging works great)
  • Grapevine hearts (or other seasonal shapes)
  • Brown distress ink
  • Jute string or twine
  • Buttons (optional)
budget friendly crafts using wood shims supplies

Step One: Building the Sign Base

  • Lay out three shims vertically, alternating thick and thin ends
  • Leave small gaps between the boards for a farmhouse look
  • Using Hot Glue, attach the three 3-inch brace pieces across the back to hold everything together

This creates a sturdy, rustic sign blank you can reuse again and again.

Step Two: Painting the Sign

  • Dry brush Vintage White over the front and edges
  • Let the natural wood texture show through
  • Leave the back unfinished if you like a raw, handmade feel

Step Three: Making the XOXO

  • Cut corrugated cardboard into 3-inch by 1-inch strips
  • Split each strip down the center
  • Glue the pieces together to form two X’s
  • Ink with brown distress ink to create an aged, metal-like look

The O’s are replaced with grape vine hearts, which adds softness and texture.

Step Four: Attaching Uneven Embellishments (A Handy Trick)

Because everything is uneven — wood, cardboard, grapevine — glue can be tricky. A simple fix:

  • Add small pieces of jute string where the embellishments touch the surface
  • Glue over the jute for stronger adhesion without visible glue blobs

Finish with buttons in the center of the hearts to tie everything together.

Why These Shim Projects Work So Well

What I love most about these projects is how approachable they are. The materials are inexpensive. Not to mention, the rustic style welcomes imperfections and the techniques repeat across projects, so each one builds confidence

The XOXO sign concept alone can be reused for: Spring signs, Fall decor, Christmas words, and everyday farmhouse quotes. Once you have shims in your craft stash, the possibilities really open up!

If you’ve been enjoying this shim series, you’ll be happy to know there are even more ideas waiting for you.

If you try either of these projects, I’d love to hear how you made them your own — different words, colors, or seasonal twists. And as always, thank you for crafting along with me.

YouTube PlayList

You can see both of these videos AND the other two videos in this Shims Series HERE

And you can read the DIY Winter Crafts with Shims post and the DIY Rustic Everyday Crafts with Shims post with tons of details, tips and suggestions on more shims projects!

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