Heart of Gold Valentine Plate & A Love Story

Long before we were an item, I knew my husband had a heart of gold.

You might even say that’s what brought us together.

His heart of gold gave me the courage to put my heart on the line…

To ask a question I never thought I would…

To put past heartbreak aside and take another chance at love…

Ours is a thoroughly modern love story. It all started with an email message… typed and erased and retyped…

I am normally a direct person, but in this case, I’m a little nervous and thought it would be best to ask you by email. I was wondering if you’d like to go out on a date this weekend? I’ll let you pick the place. I eagerly await your reply.

Until I finally had the courage to hit SEND.

You read that right. I took a bold move and asked Bruce out on our first date.

We had worked together for more than a year. But until that moment, we were just friends because we had both been in relationships. But those ended, and I thought I sensed a little romantic spark. A little flirtation across the newsroom. A few too many lingering looks passing between his cubicle and mine.

I knew I was definitely interested in getting to know him better. I couldn’t be completely sure he felt the same way.

But I did know that even if he wasn’t interested in a romance with me, Bruce would be mindful of my heart.

If he didn’t want to go on a date with me, I knew Bruce would say no with kindness. He wouldn’t make things awkward or embarrassing, and we could still be friends.

So I did something scary, something bold, something I’d never done before. I let cupid’s arrow fly and I waited for Bruce’s reply.

Eagerly. Nervously.

I think you know what the answer was…

February 10 is the 12th anniversary of our first date. and September 18 will mark our 10th wedding anniversary.

So we have a lot to celebrate around Valentine’s Day.

I thought I’d whip up a heartfelt Valentine craft that pays tribute not only to love, but to my husband’s heart of gold.

The meaning and sentiment behind this Valentine craft idea is priceless, but the project itself is super-cheap.

I made a set of plates for less than $2, using crafting supplies I already had on hand, and four plates I picked up for 50 cents each at the Target after-Christmas clearance sale.

To make this craft, you’ll need:

• Clear glass plates
• Gold leaf sheets, adhesive and sealer
• Frosted glass spray paint
• Vinyl decals or stickers

First, I cleaned my plates to remove any grease and fingerprints. This is VERY important!

Then, I adhered some heart-shaped vinyl decals I cut using my Silhouette Cameo to the BACK of each plate. (Be sure to wipe off any fingerprints you leave when adhering the vinyl or stickers.)

Next, I sprayed the BACK of each plate with Valspar frosted glass spray paint. I did several coats, allowing the plates to dry completely between each one. You could use glass etching cream, but the spray paint is much easier to use and less caustic.

Once the paint was dry, I removed my decals and brushed on a thin coat of adhesive size just in the areas that had been masked off with the vinyl.

The instructions say to wait about 45 minutes for the adhesive size to dry. You want it to be tacky, or sticky to the touch.

I find that I usually don’t have to wait the full 45 minutes to move on to the next step.

I used a foam brush to apply a sheet of gold leaf to the plate.

Then I used the foam brush to brush away the excess gilding. It may be necessary to add a second coat of adhesive size to touch up any spots you missed the first time around.

When I was satisified with the gold coverage, I sprayed the backs of each plate again with the frosted glass spray paint. (Don’t forget to wipe away any fingerprints BEFORE spraying.)

If you plan to use these plates for serving, you’ll definitely want to seal the gold leaf. Most gold leafing kits come with a sealer. You could also use a spray-on matte sealer. Evenso, I would not submerge these plates in water or put them in the dishwasher. I recommend gentle hand washing only.

Now that I have these pretty dessert plates, I think I need to send another email…

For more Valentine’s Day ideas, be sure to check back next week when I’ll be participating in The Scoop’s Valentine Tour with 24 other bloggers.