Customize DIY wall letters to add a personal touch
Chose embellishments and colours that reflect your style
The signage craze has gone DIY.
Wall letters — spelling out a simple greeting or saying — have been popular in home decor for years. Unadorned letters are also plentiful in craft stores for do-it-your selfers.
You can find large and small alphabet letters in chipboard, papier-mache, wood or metal.
What to do with them? There’s the fun.
“There’s a shift to an emphasis on personal invention” when decorating a room, says Marcie McGoldrick, editorial director of crafts for Martha Stewart Living.
“Word art” might mean covering letters in: Glitter, tumbled glass or beads; Found objects, such as pebbles, twigs and seashells; Photographs and images; Scrapbook, craft or tissue paper; Fabric, lace, yarn, ribbon, pompoms and sequins; Faux flowers, moss or leaves; Legos and other small toys. Paper quilling — rolled strips of paper — can be used to create elaborate, 3D designs.
“You can really customize it and make it your own,” says Marianne Canada, an HGTV producer and stylist who hosts Crafternoon.
McGoldrick suggests using chalkboard paint on wood letters, or vintage decor paint for a crackled finish. Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Glue provides a similar look at less cost (instructions at Elmers.com).
Canada suggests cutting the fronts off papier-mache letters, removing any cardboard supports, and gluing decorations — such as colourful pompoms — to the inside surfaces. Or insert floral foam and stick flowers into it for a special dinner or engagement party.
A single letter can be used as a monogram centrepiece, or letters can spell out party themes, such as “bloom” for a summertime party, “boo” for Halloween or “thanks” for Thanksgiving.
Lightweight chipboard letters can be hung from banners, Can- ada says, or covered with family photographs as “a sweet gift for a grandparent.”
Create three-dimensional wall art by decorating several letters and gluing them together to hang for a holiday. “Noel” looks great over a mantel or near a Christmas tree, Canada says.
Those lighted marquee letters popular at craft and design stores right now? Make your own for less using papier-mache or metal letters. Just be careful to use only LED light bulbs or strands — globe or “cafe” bulbs lend an authentic look — to reduce any fire hazard. (Directions for one such project are included at right).
McGoldrick says large letters should be used sparingly in home decor; treat them like an accent pillow. Or bring them out only to add zing to a party or holiday.
“It’s not something you’re going to get sick of if it’s out for a few weeks and then goes away,” she says.