DIY Wooden Heart Wedding Guest Book (Part 2)
Skip the standard sign-in book. This wooden heart frame lets guests sign a heart and drop it into a clear display you can hang at home.
What you’ll get:
- A removable acrylic front
- Clean coin-slot drop that stacks hearts vertically
- Painting and layout tips to avoid jams
Tools & Materials
Plan the removable front
Most builds glue the acrylic, but removing it later makes gluing hearts permanent and easy. Use threaded inserts in the backing board and socket headcap screws through the acrylic. Three fasteners (two upper, one lower) kept the panel secure without overloading the look.
Practical tip: test inserts on scrap first. Aim for centered side screws, and be ready to add washers later if the acrylic needs more bite.
Drill, insert, and align
Drill pilot holes, then step up to the insert size. Drive inserts with a short-arm Allen key. Watch for minor splitting—stop and adjust if the board starts to open up. After installing, dry-fit the acrylic and confirm you can get a solid grab without washers.
Warning: overtightening can crack acrylic or pull threads; snug is enough.
Cut a controlled coin slot
A narrow slot helps hearts stack vertically instead of bridging and going horizontal. Drill two holes and connect them with a multi-tool, jigsaw, or rotary tool, then clean up with a small file. Keep the slot just wider than a single heart so drops land flush against the back.
Reality check: the slot edge won’t be art-gallery perfect. A careful file cleanup is enough—guests won’t see it once in use.
Dial in heart size and internal layout
Test heart sizes before committing. Hearts around 2.4 inches hit a sweet spot between too sparse and too crowded. Avoid placing raised decor (like a center monogram) in the fall path—it can cause toppling and horizontal stacks. Shift accents off to the side for a clear drop path.
Finishing touch: paint hearts black and sign with a gold marker for crisp contrast. Leave the acrylic’s protective film on until showtime to avoid scuffs.
Final takeaway: Threaded inserts plus a tight coin slot make this guest book easy to use on the big day and simple to finish afterward for long-term display.
