LOLLIPOP LETTERS
Use colourful scraps of wallpaper and pages from old books to create a collection of letters with a lovely vintage appeal.
Skill: Intermediate Time: 25 mins
MATERIALS Letter template Plain or graph paper
Ruler
Pencil
Tracing paper
Masking tape Craft knife
Cutting mat
Foamboard measuring approx 21x26cm (8¼x10¼in) per letter
Washi tape Scissors
Craft glue Patterned paper
Thin wooden sticks 20-30cm (8-12in) long, one per letter (from craft stores)
Block of wood measuring approximately 11x4x3cm (4½x1½x1in)
Pages from old books
Drill
Awl 1 Choose your letter from the templates above and enlarge to the size you want it to be, using a photocopier or scaling up the letter on graph paper. The letter ‘R’ in the photo is approximately 20cm (8in) in height. 2 Follow the instructions in the How To panel (above) for scaling up the letter.
3 Then follow the instructions in the How To panel (above right) for tracing: trace out the letter and transfer it onto a piece of foamboard.
4 On a cutting mat, cut out the shape using a craft knife and a ruler for any straight edges. Line the outside edges of the letter with strips of washi tape. When lining a curved edge, use scissors to make small snips into the overlapping tape – every 5mm (¼in) or so.
5 Spread glue all over the front of the letter shape and place a piece of patterned paper, right side up, over the top. Smooth out and press down all over. Allow the glue to dry before using a craft knife to cut off any overlapping paper. Repeat on the other side of the letter, using a different paper if you like, so that both sides are covered. 6 Cut a length of stick. Cut a strip of washi tape to the same length and lay it down on your work surface, sticky side up. Place the stick on the tape and wrap the tape around the stick neatly, to cover it.
7 To cover the block of wood, centre it on a page taken from an old book. Draw around the base. Remove the block and draw a border around your drawn outline. It needs to be the same depth as the sides of the block. Use a pencil and a ruler to mark cutting guides, as shown above; cut along them to make four flaps.
8 Spread glue all over the wrong side of the paper and place the block back in position on it. Wrap the two short sides of the block first, sticking the paper flaps to the long sides of it, then wrap the two long sides.
9 Turn the block right side up and drill a hole in the centre of it equal to the width of the stick. Use an awl to make a hole the same size in the foamboard at the base of the letter. Push the stick into the wooden base and then push the letter onto the opposite end of the stick.