You may have seen this tutorial over at Creativity Week at 7-3-3, but I wanted to post it on my blog just for my own records. :) Enjoy!
Last year I discovered these cute letter blocks over at It's a Girl Thing (hey Tara!)
I fell in love with them...so this year when I stumbled upon them again, I realized it was time for me to make some of my own. So I drew up a pattern of how I wanted the letters to be and had my dad cut the letters out for me. They stand approximately 8-10 inches high, depending on the letter.
So...first thing's first, I chose the paper I was planning to use (in the long-run I chose a couple of different ones instead...) but it's good to line up the colors you are wanting and see what order they look best in to you before you start tracing the letters. 
The next step is to trace your letters onto the paper. Remember to flip your letter so that it's backwards, or else when you turn the paper to the front side, it will be backwards.
After you've cut out all your letters, lay them on top of your wood blocks and make sure they are a good fit.
The next step is to get out your mod-podge and go to town!
After you mod podge the paper on, the next step is to paint the sides and the backs of the letters in a coordinating shade. I chose a light green. I like to kind of do a thin sponged line of paint on the front of the letters as well--just on the very edges--to help tie it all together and make it look more consistent:
Then, after the paint has dried, put a couple of coats of mod podge over it as well. This will help to keep it from chipping, it will make them more water-proof, and it helps the whole block look more consistently shiny.
If you look closely here, you can see that I added a thin border of paint around the front of each of the letters, and then coated it all in a final layer of mod podge.
The last step is to embellish your blocks (if you like that sort of thing...you may prefer to just leave them plain like they are above. Your choice!)
I fell in love with them...so this year when I stumbled upon them again, I realized it was time for me to make some of my own. So I drew up a pattern of how I wanted the letters to be and had my dad cut the letters out for me. They stand approximately 8-10 inches high, depending on the letter.
So...first thing's first, I chose the paper I was planning to use (in the long-run I chose a couple of different ones instead...) but it's good to line up the colors you are wanting and see what order they look best in to you before you start tracing the letters. 
The next step is to trace your letters onto the paper. Remember to flip your letter so that it's backwards, or else when you turn the paper to the front side, it will be backwards.
After you've cut out all your letters, lay them on top of your wood blocks and make sure they are a good fit.
The next step is to get out your mod-podge and go to town!
After you mod podge the paper on, the next step is to paint the sides and the backs of the letters in a coordinating shade. I chose a light green. I like to kind of do a thin sponged line of paint on the front of the letters as well--just on the very edges--to help tie it all together and make it look more consistent:
Then, after the paint has dried, put a couple of coats of mod podge over it as well. This will help to keep it from chipping, it will make them more water-proof, and it helps the whole block look more consistently shiny.
If you look closely here, you can see that I added a thin border of paint around the front of each of the letters, and then coated it all in a final layer of mod podge.
The last step is to embellish your blocks (if you like that sort of thing...you may prefer to just leave them plain like they are above. Your choice!)
7 comments:
cute!
These are so stinkin adorable!!! I love the funky shapes of the letters and the cute paper you chose. Good work!
Way cute! I like the papers you chose.
OH my.. those are darling.. I will have to bookmark this!
Those turned out so fun!
I found your blog--not sure how-(i hate it when I do that) I really am enjoying reading all your past posts. You are one creative ladY
I will be back to see what else you come up with!
If you get a minute, please stop by and say hello!
Have a Happy night!
Love-ly, dah-ling! :) Yeah for crafty projects!!
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