Project: Decorative Letters

I had some time on my hands when I was pregnant with Addison.  I decided to make the free standing decorative letters to spell out her name on a shelf I decided to go ahead and make the entire alphabet.  Ambitious? Lil’ bit. Here are some instructions so you can make your own letters.

Step one:

Step One: On the WRONG or back side of your patterned paper, trace out the letter you want on your canvas.  Make sure you draw it as the reverse that you want to see on the front.  Or, if you don’t feel comfortable doing that, draw it on the front and make sure to cut your tracing lines out as well. Use an exacto knife on a self healing mat (or an old piece of cardboard) for clean, precise edges.

Step Two: Choose another color/pattern of paper and cut out a piece JUST LARGER than the letter from the first, letter, piece of paper.  Place the rectangle, pattern side up, centered on the canvas and then position the letter on top to find the right placement for bottom rectangle piece.  In the case of my example sketches, you would see the green stripes in the cut out “A” of the blue stripe paper.

Step Three: Once you you find the right position, glue the rectangle of paper to the canvas, RIGHT SIDE UP.  Now cover the back side of the first piece of paper, with the letter cut out of it, with glue.

Step Four: With the letter cut-out paper GLUE SIDE UP on a solid surface, center the canvas on top and press down.  Let dry. SEE STEP FOUR ABOVE.

Step Five: Run your exacto knife closely around all edges of the canvas.  If you choose you can paint the edges of the canvas BEFORE you cut the extra paper off, this will ensure that you don’t get any paint on the front of your letter.

Step One: Choose a piece of patterned paper and place it WRONG or BLANK side up on a flat surface.

Step Two: Cover the front surface of your letter with glue.  Make sure it is the side of the letter you want to see.  Center the glue covered letter on the decorative paper you have set out in step one. Press down and let dry.

Step Three: Paint around all edges of the letter with your chosen paint color.  No need to be neat, with the paper still attached there won’t be any paint leaking to the front of the letter.  Make sure you remember to paint the interior crevices of letters as well.

Step Four: Use your exacto knife and a self healing mat (or large piece of cardboard) and cut around the letter as close to the edges as possible without cutting the letter itself.

If you want to hang the letter go ahead and attach something to the back of the letter about an inch and a half from the top.  Staple some string, pop some picture hangers in there, you could even just poke a hole in the back for a nail.  All options are super easy because the letter is made of cardboard.  Now hang it up, set it on a shelf, do what you please.  You’re done baby.