Displaying Vintage Valentines With Yardsticks

February 08, 2023

Photo of two wooden advertising yardsticks.

I purchased two wooden advertising yardsticks from a local consignment shop to make a Valentine's Day project. I paid $5 for both of them.

After seeing my yardstick project below, please continue scrolling on down for this month's installment of the Thrift Store Decor Team's February party. You will not be disappointed!

(When you click on the bold Amazon, Old Sign Stencils or Dixie Belle Paint Company affiliate links you will be taken to the products I use for this project. If you order it does not change the price or service at all. As an Amazon Affiliate, Old Sign Stencils Affiliate or Dixie Belle Paint Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Photo of two wooden yardsticks and red milk paint stain.

I made sure to purchase unsealed and unpainted wooden yardsticks. I mixed up a very small amount of Homestead House Fort York Red Milk Paint in a one part water to one part paint powder ratio.

I had the paint on hand from other projects.

Photo of a wooden advertising yardstick after being stained with red milk paint.

After brushing on the red milk paint, I wiped some of the paint off so the numbers on the yardsticks would still be visible. The milk paint acted like a red stain.

Photo of a package of four magnetic clips from the Dollar Tree.

Magnetic metal clips are sold all over the place but my latest sets, above, are four packs from Dollar Tree.

Since magnets won't stick to wood, I glued the magnets to the yardstick using E6000 Adhesive. Five magnets were glued on at the 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 inch marks. The vertical yardstick has four magnets glued on at 3 1/2, 12 1/2, 21 1/2, and 30 1/2 inches.

Photo of a yardstick & magnetic clip photo holder.

I like to display old photos with yardsticks on my hallway wall, so I thought why not vintage Valentines? I have a large collection of them. Some were mine, my dad's, his brother's and my grandma's.