Here is a quick tutorial showing you how to create Valentine’s Day arrows, or Cupid’s arrows, which are perfect for adorning a gift. 

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It’s always fun to create some crafts for Valentine’s Day.  Anything handmade seems to have more meaning and be more appreciated.  Plus, I tend to favor more neutral decor, minimizing the pink and red colors that come with the holiday.  This project is definitely a neutral take on making Cupid’s arrow!

The other day, when I was walking through the Dollar Store I came across some wooden arrows – I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.  In this post, I walk you through the process I used to make these Valentine’s Day Arrows. 

This project will take you about 2 hours to complete from start to finish. This is also a fun craft to make with older kids.

Valentine’s Day Arrows

As with any project, the first thing we will need to do is gather our supplies.  Don’t worry, for this project, it’s a fairly short list of supplies.  Other than purchasing the wooden arrows and some milk paint, I already had everything else on hand. For your convenience, I linked the supplies where I could.  You can also buy these supplies at your local craft stores such as Michaels.

Supplies

• Unfinished wooden arrows. (Similar arrows linked)
• MMS Milk Paint in any color you choose, I used Carolina Dune
• MMS Milk Mix EZ
• Fine gold or silver glitter
• Mod Podge Matte Finish
• 220 grit sandpaper
• Popsicle stick and small container to mix the milk paint
• 1 inch craft paint brush and 1/4 inch craft paint brush
• Kraft paper to protect your work surface. (I used a cut up paper grocery bag)

The wooden arrows that I found, were complete with arrow heads and feathered ends. However, you could easily create your own arrows using a wooden dowel, small triangle of cardboard/ card stock, feathers and a hot glue gun. If you don’t have a piece of cardboard readily available, you can also use foam sheets. For a fun variation, you could also make the arrow heads out of small hearts.

Step 1:  Paint the Arrows

I mixed up some MMS milk paint in a clear plastic container and added a few drops of milk mix EZ.  If you haven’t used milk paint before, it comes in a powder form and you mix equal parts of powder paint and warm water. The water should be at room temperature or a little warmer.

I mixed up ½ cup of powdered paint with ½ cup of warm water. 

While the paint was setting up – I covered the work surface with brown kraft paper, taping it down to the table. 

I laid out the arrows and started applying my first coat of paint.  When the arrows were completely covered in paint, I let them dry for approximately 30 minutes.  If the first coat of paint looks splotchy or uneven – don’t panic! This is normal.

After the arrows were dry, I lightly sanded them with 220 grit sandpaper and applied a second coat of paint. Again, I let them dry for about 30 minutes.  When the second coat of paint was dry, I once again, lightly sanded the arrows using 220 grit sandpaper. 

Although the arrows started off being slightly different colors of wood, they were all the same after being painted. 

Step 2 – Apply Glitter to Tip and Feathers

In a small bowl, I added some fine gold glitter.  You can use gold, silver or copper for this project.   Then using your craft paint brush, apply Mod Podge to the arrow tip and to the feathers of the arrow.  Then use a spoon to cover these areas with loose glitter.  Be sure to apply the glitter with the arrow inside the bowl.  This will help to minimize the mess and keep the glitter in one place. 

For some added variation, you can apply washi tape to the arrow shafts or further embellish them by adding real feathers.

Step 3 – Enjoy your Valentine’s Day Arrow

Congratulations!  Your Valentine’s Day Arrows are finished!  These are fun to use in a variety of ways such a using them in a special event like a Valentine’s day party or even incorporating them into your Valentine’s day decor.

Here are some ideas on how to use these arrows:

• Use them to adorn the outside of a Valentine’s Day wrapped gift
• Use them on your Valentine’s Day tablescape
• Tie a bundle together and attach a poem or note
• Tie a bundle together and attach a gift card
• Include them on the outside of a vase filled with flowers
• Attach them to the exterior of a package of candy
• Here are some ideas on types of candy or goodies you could put in an airtight container:
  • Pink chocolate hearts
  • Chocolate dipped pretzel sticks
  • Gummy hearts
  • Red hots
  • Heart shaped cookies, with pink sprinkles

Below are some “after” photos of the arrows that you can pin to your Pinterest board for future reference. I was so happy with how these turned out!

These arrows look great when tied together in a bundle.

This is such a simple and fun project to create.

I made those paper hearts last year. If you want to make similar hearts, I will share the link to this craft near the end of this post.

Summary 

Thank you for stopping by the blog today.  If you liked this post you might also enjoy the following that I shared in the past year:

Easy Valentine’s Day Craft 1

Easy Valentine’s Day Craft 2

With all the snow on the ground and the cold temperatures outside, this was a fun thing to work on for Valentine’s Day.  Doing anything creative always makes the winter months a little more bearable. 

If you don’t have time to create your own Valentine’s crafts, I have linked some handmade garlands for you below.